I can pick up Voice of America's Africa shortwave broadcasts, and there has been a lot of excitement all week about Obama's visit. He definitely sounds like something of a superstar there.

"Studly", not "studdly".

I'm astonished that anyone would use Jackie Mason's image to attract anything at all, except maybe flies.

It seems so weird that they would use somebody who has no affiliation with their organization and who is not a messianic Jew to advertise themselves. It would be like The Church of Latter Day Saints publishing a pamphlet reading "Mel Brooks...Mormon!?".

The African SUPERSTAR is a different concept than ours. I was interested in dating an Ethiopian woman a few years ago (we both attended Renton Technical Institute), so I agreed to go to a cultural event with her family.

The bridge of differences in lifestyles proved to be too strong. It was interesting to not use utensils and militarily chant along to the music, but I could feel it wasn't going to work out.

The strangest thing though was that most of the tapestries, cd's, and t-shirts for sale had images of Bob Marley. From knowing this girl, I gathererd that Ethiopians (in the U.S.) were anti-drug use, Christian and generally more into traditional afro-pop (for lack of a better description). The line dances performed at the event to this national music, were as complex as the music, and more communally uplifting than any reggae gathering I've been to.

So what's with the Marley "image"? I have some ideas, but my point is that the notion of SUPERSTAR is very misunderstood, and the more we fixate, the crazier we are going to drive ourselves.

I was chuckling about the Jackie Mason story until I read this quote:

Susan Perlman, a spokeswoman for Jews for Jesus, said the pamphlet was "good-natured."

"Shame on him for getting so upset about this," she said Friday.

It's all in fun! All we are doing is using your Jewishness to recruit people from your religion into ours, that's all. Just like Ahmadinejad recruits for Muslims for Jews, the Pope recruits pro-choice donations. It all in fun!

ME, you certainly sound like you're driving yourself crazy.

GDC, that was the bit that really shocked me too. First they attribute a religion to him that isn't really his, then say "shame on you" when he protests. Whaa?

If we had National Healthcare like most of the rest of the world, there would be no need to file lawsuits (Honeywell link). In fact, it might even be easier to accept the idea of civil unions instead of legal marriage for same sex couples, while waiting for people to get comfortable with the concept of "liberty...for all."

Insurance coverage is a big part of my interest in marriage. We don't worry much about taxes, property and inheritance since we don't have any money, contrary to the myth of the DINK culture.

Perhaps making national healthcare part of the vision of marriage equality fight might be a way to attract support from more of the population.

When did Jackie Mason become a lawyer?

Or are you thinking of the lawyer on Seinfeld "Jackie Chiles"?

Isn't it kind of weird that health care is associated in this country with your JOB? Most people work for only half to 2/3 of their lifespans, and there's nothing about working that particularly has to do with health care. Very peculiar if you think about it.

When did Jackie Mason become a lawyer?

Maybe she was thinking of Perry Mason.

as always, fnarf, you get to the point. Whadda bout the column?

oops, should have been "whadda bout the column, Dan?

I'm afraid my devotion to evil precludes the writing of columns.

Good point, Patrick C. Most major corporations agree with you. Sadly, the unpatriotic anti-American White House doesn't.

The battery recall isn't Apple's fault (or Dell's). The faulty batteries were made by Sony.

The cluster bombs were probably planted by the terrorists themselves to make Israel look bad. Israel is the most just society on earth. Any country has a right to self defense. What about the Israeli children that die from islamo-terrorist bombs? Where's the concern about that?

It is anti-semitic to steal Jackie Mason's name and use it to promote a hate-speach group. One group has faced the most oppression on earth, and this is an example of how today we must face those who don't understand. Thank you for these constant reminders of oppression.

I liked that Honeywell story even more three days ago, when the A.P. broke the news.
And it's nice to see my fellow Mac Nerds shifting aim to Sony now that the Apples are coming under fire, literally. Ha!

Good catch on the battery recall. Sony, which I used to own 500 shares in until April, made them. None of us investors were ever told this ahead of time.

Talk about flaming batteries ...

That wacky straight woman... she will most likely win in the end... and her partner will be added to the insurance... then she will notice that her "insurance contribution" of $100 jumps up to $400, just the same as the married straights and partnered gays are paying. (or maybe Honeywell is a progressive employer (yeah right) and covers 100% employees/spouse/partner/family health insurance).

Hell, even the horror stories I hear of from other countries which have National Health Insurance would be a change from what America currently has. The idea that a healthy employee, who has time to heal when sick or injured and is able to receive the care needed when it is needed as opposed to when it is affordable, is a productive employee who can only enhance the national GNP and by extension, their employers bottom line. I mean, why not? I can't figure it out, anyone who as every managed personnel will tell you, it is never easy hiring and training a new employee... especial as we are a service based industry in a free-market economy where employees jump from job to job every so often. Employers in 2006 demand talented and educated employees, but still feel that short term/long term disability and National Health Insurance are “Anti-Business”.

Cluster bombs. What ever became of the U.S.'s surreptitious shipping of weapons (lazer guided bombs were the item reported) coming though Scotland to Israel. Any meetings held on that account, being that we might have been in violation of agreemtents with the U.K.?

Israel needs American weapons for self defense. Any democracy has the same right. Criticism of Israel now, as we prepare to attack Iran, is not helping America. We must stand behind Israel, America's best friend in the Middle East.

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