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Micro-Geography Matters in JerusalemNews Abroad
Over the past couple of weeks the fate of Jerusalem emerged as the most visible hot spot in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Obama's administration has been putting pressure on Israel to stop its construction in East Jerusalem, which is projected as the Palestinian capital in a future two-state solution. Netanhayu, on his part, vows to continue building in Jerusalem, the eternal Jewish capital, "like all Israeli governments since 1967," and claims not to understand what all the fuss is about.
These seemingly clear-cut statements actually mask much confusion and misinformation. Most people outside Israel/Palestine, and even many Israelis, do not actually understand the often complicated micro-geography of what is happening on the ground. But in this case, the micro matters. It may not be too much of an exaggeration to say that the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and thus to a large extent the future of American relations with the Islamic world, depend on the proper understanding of local Jerusalemite geography.
To begin with, what is "Jerusalem"? Not as obvious a question as it sounds. When Israel conquered East Jerusalem from the Jordanians in 1967, it passed a law that unilaterally annexed East Jerusalem and reunited the divided city as its "eternal capital." Only that what was in fact annexed was a huge, sprawling area – 70 square kilometers! – that took a significant bite from the West Bank (The Jordanian East Jerusalem was only 6.4 square kilometers). Its meandering boundaries made little urban or geographical sense: the only clear logic of the hastily drawn map was to annex maximum land and minimum Palestinians. And yet several villages, and even a large refugee camp, suddenly found themselves part of Jerusalem, to which they had never belonged before. And now, when Israelis are reaffirming their commitment to their eternal capital, much of that outpouring of devotion is actually directed at areas that have absolutely nothing to do with the historic or holy Jerusalem; a fact that is willfully suppressed by some and no longer known to many others.
Furthermore: what is "Israeli construction in East Jerusalem," the putative bone of contention? Once again, the answer is far from unambiguous. Soon after the Six Day War, Israel began building a series of large neighborhoods beyond the 1948-1967 border (the 'Green Line'). Some restored a long-standing Jewish presence that was cut short during the war of 1948: the Jewish Quarter in the Old City that was conquered by the Jordanians during the war and destroyed; the Hebrew University campus on Mount Scopus, which actually remained in Israeli hands throughout this period, but as an isolated lifeless enclave. Some extended Jewish Jerusalem into new areas, which were either adjacent to pre-1967 Jewish neighborhoods or were on unoccupied hills further out: French Hill, Ramat Eshkol, Ramot, Giloh. By the time the peace process began with the Oslo Accords in 1993, these were already substantial neighborhoods with tens of thousands of people living in them, and thus became an inevitable factor in the negotiations. Few, even on the Palestinian side, expected these post-1967 Israeli neighborhoods to be evacuated. This was the so-called "Consensus" – a loaded reified term in Israeli politics – that Netanyahu and the Israeli government now invoke whenever they insist that nothing has changed in 43 years of Israeli government policy in Jerusalem.
Which is, in fact, an utter misrepresentation. Neither of the recent storms about Israeli construction in East Jerusalem is part of the urban reality encompassed in the "Consensus."
Take Ramat Shlomo, the neighborhood in which an expansion of 1600 units was approved while Joe Biden was in Israel, a public snub that triggered the present storm over Jerusalem. In 1993 this spot was a barren hill. There were no buildings on it, no inhabitants, nothing. It was a hill, moreover, that was part of the contiguous section of East Jerusalem which was likely to revert back to the Palestinian side in any plausible geographic enactment of a two-state solution with Jerusalem as capital to both. Ramat Shlomo, like Har Homa, which was a major project of Netanyahu's first government in the late 1990s, were last-ditch efforts to alter the map after negotiations had begun. However their fate is decided now, it is at least questionable whether they should unthinkingly merit the same status in negotiations as those neighborhoods that had already been in place in 1993, at the ostensible beginning of the peace process. But since these are neighborhoods in which most Israelis have never set foot, let alone foreigners, they are largely unaware of these distinctions. The Palestinians, on the other hand, are painfully aware of them. Their projected share of the city is a moving target, and one that is continually shrinking,
The second eye of the storm is even more pernicious. To understand the situation in Sheikh Jarrah, you really have to go there. You have to see for yourself these few buildings that have recently been taken over by Jewish settlers in the middle of a dense Palestinian neighborhood. The houses are literally wrapped in Israeli flags. Everything about them cries provocation. The Palestinian families that lived in them until their evacuation several months ago are now living in makeshift encampments opposite their former houses. Israeli police and military are present in large numbers. They ensure the safety of the settlers. They harass – sometimes violently – the weekly demonstrators, Israelis and Palestinians together, who every Friday march to protest this new outrage. But they do little to protect the Palestinian neighbors from the heckling and even violence of the newcomers.
Sheikh Jarrah also includes the Shepherd Hotel Compound, where the approval of twenty settler units was announced on the day Netanyahu was in Washington, and thus got some press attention. It is actually but one of several such projects recently gaining ground but not always noticed by the press, including the six-story "Beit Yehonatan" in the large Palestinian village of Silwan, and a new settlement in the Palestinian village E-Tur on top of the Mount of Olives. These are completely different types of construction projects. They are hardly a response to natural urban growth, like Ramat Shlomo or the other large neighborhoods. Rather, they are small Israeli beachheads in the middle of well established and densely built Palestinian neighborhoods. They are ideologically driven and populated by settlers of the most aggressive type, whose behavior grates even many in the broader settler communities (Recently the small settler community in Sheikh Jarrah was filmed singing songs of praise for Baruch Goldstein, a Jewish terrorist who killed dozens of Muslims during prayer in Hebron in 1994; and singing so loudly that their Palestinian neighbors could not but hear every word). The goals of these small settler enclaves is to proclaim Jewish superiority everywhere, while disrupting the tissue of co-existence that depends on leaving Palestinians spaces of their own.
In every case the government and the municipality – currently run by a right-wing mayor, Nir Barkat, who seems all too eager to stoke any fire that comes his way – put forth arguments that supposedly justify the invasion. Some are legal arguments about ownership, sometimes going back eighty years (as in the case of Sheikh Jarrah) and sometimes based on a recent purchase (as in the case of the Shepherd Hotel). Some are historical arguments, mobilizing traditional Jewish associations of those particular spots – partly true, partly invented or stretched – to buttress a claim from times immemorial. But the goal, the methods, and the consequences are always the same: an intrusive encroachment into Palestinian space, eyesore houses emblazoned with Israeli flags, aggressive settlers that often seek confrontation with the neighboring Palestinians, and a permanent disruptive presence of Israeli military and police that inevitably follow the settlers. That the legal argument is but a veneer is demonstrated by the fact that ever since the incongruous high-rise intrusion into the Palestinian village of Silwan, named by the settlers "Yehonatan House," was declared by Israeli courts illegal and due for immediate demolition, Jerusalem's mayor has openly defied this ruling.
In terms of sheer damage to co-existence in a complicated city, therefore, twenty units in Sheikh Jarrah sow more immediate hatred than 1600 units in Ramat Shlomo. To present such aggressive acts as a continuation of the policies of Israeli governments over 43 years is simply untrue. Until recently, Israeli governments carefully avoided such conflicts, and thus allowed Jewish-Arab coexistence in the Holy City to remain surprisingly resilient in the face of many challenges during the first generation after 1967. Efforts to disrupt this pattern began by individuals and small groups, often with private American funding. Their intensification over the last decade and a half has largely flown under the radar, despite being a development with momentous consequences (much greater, say, than those of the settlement 'outposts' that have received so much attention). Their protestations of innocence notwithstanding, the support for this game-changing policy from Netanyahu's government together with the zealous mayor of Jerusalem is unprecedented.
I grew up in a divided Jerusalem. I know full well why such an urban reality cannot and should not return. I then spent many years as a tour guide in Jerusalem, and have a deep investment in its 3000 years of history, with its rich cultural and religious associations. Until recently, I have also believed that, despite the overblown rhetoric that Jerusalem inevitably elicits, the actual political problem it posits can lend itself to a reasonable solution. That Jerusalem is not in truth "united" is what makes such a solution possible. It has clearly Jewish parts and clearly Arab parts, and those function well independently of each other. Jews and Arabs mingle but can also retreat to their own space. An operational modus vivendi, in other words, already exists. Jerusalem's overload of holiness is centered in a very small area in and around the Old City: several reasonable solutions for this "holy basin" have been suggested, combining pragmatic arrangements on the ground with creative fudging of the ultimate sovereignty which can be left in the hands of God. And as for the symbols of real national sovereignty, if you actually mark on a map the Israeli "capitol hill," that is the hill that houses the Knesset, the main Government Ministries and the Supreme Court, and then the Palestinian projected "capitol hill" in Abu Dis, a township on the Mount of Olives, you will discover that they are more or less equidistant from the holy places in the Old City. A perfect geographic basis for a balanced urban compromise.
Netanyahu's government is deliberately undermining this balance and rapidly changing the urban circumstances, thus rendering a compromise less and less likely. As it turns out, counter to Netanyahu's claims, these actions are not in the Israeli vaunted "Consensus." Even at this juncture when the left in Israel is unprecedently weak, many Israelis (42% according to a recent poll) oppose these new Israeli policies and support a complete freeze of Israeli construction in East Jerusalem. The U.S. should not let manipulative rhetoric about the eternal city and 3000 years of history obfuscate the actual intersection of historical and geographic facts, nor stand in the way of the policy conclusions that must be drawn from them.
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Arnold Shcherban - 4/22/2010
United Nations Security Council with its five permanent Members (US, USSR, UK, France, and China) with the right of veto has no moral credibility credibility?
Well, then its sanctions against Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and for that matter any other decisions has no moral credibility and therefore has no authority?
But Israel's bombing of Iraq's reactor and proposed bombing of the Iran's suspected nuclear facilities are absolutely morally and legally justified...
How dare you, pseudo Professor?
Elliott Aron Green - 4/18/2010
Yes, Art, it seems like Omar has a lot of misinformation which he may sincerely believe is true. The 1949 Israel-Transjordan armistice accord, signed at Rhodes with the mediation of Ralph Bunche, stipulates Jewish access to Jewish holy places and freedom of Jewish burial in the very old Jewish cemetery on ths western slope of the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Qidron valley. See Article VIII, clause 2.
Sol S Shalit - 4/15/2010
Well said, acute, perceptive, on target -- and with a flourish, Mr. Kovachev.
Elliott Aron Green - 4/15/2010
I think that Umar is right about Jordan allowing the bi-weekly Israeli convoys to go to Mount Scopus. But Jordan did not allow any Jewish access to Jewish holy places under Jordanian control, despite the Rhodes armistice accord of 1949. Jordan did allow some Israeli Christians to visit Bethlehem on Christmas, and maybe the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on Easter. This was a very complicated process. The pilgrims went through the Mandelbaum Gate crossing between Israeli Jerusalem and Jordanian-occupied Jerusalem. By the way, the Mandelbaum Gate crossing facility was built over the ruins of the pre-1948 Jewish neighborhood of Siebenbergen Houses, whence the Jews were ethnically cleansed by Arab irregular forces in early 1948.
omar ibrahim baker - 4/14/2010
To the best of my knowledge the armistice agreement between Jordan and Israel allowed for a weekly or biweekly ? Israeli convoy to replenish and rotate personnel at the Hebrew University whose campus, quite close to the now in the news Cheik Jarrah,was NOT occupied by Israel in 1948 and that that agreement was scrupulously observed by Jordan.
Several other clauses of that agreement were not observed by both sides mainly by Israel.
However if my memory does NOT fail me the Armistice commission registered ( 1948-1967)Israeli violations in the HUNDREDS including cross armistice borders massacres of civilians at Qibya and Nahalin etc. and of Israeli non allowance of Palestinian Christians to visit Nazareth versus only tens for Jordan
Most of Jordanian violations were about Palestinians crossing over to their homes, farms and orchards.
art eckstein - 4/13/2010
Dear Elliott,
Are you saying that Omar confidently stated something that he was too lazy to actually research about (namely the terms of the Jordanian-Israeli armistice of 1949, which he did not know about at all), and was thus completely and grotesquely WRONG in his claims on this thread about Jerusalem?
I mean--I'm shocked!
Elliott Aron Green - 4/12/2010
`Umar, I remind you that the Israel-Transjordan armistice accord made at Rhodes [1949] through the mediation of Ralph Bunche of the UN contained a provision that Jews would be able to visit Jewish holy sites in Transjordanian [later Jordanian]-held [Jordanian occupied] areas in Jerusalem and elsewhere. The Jordanians never fulfilled that clause of the armistice accords. They violated it throughout the 19 years of their occupation of parts of Jerusalem and Judea-Samaria. So whether or not you consider it fair for Jews to have access to those sites, the armistice accords stipulated the Jewish right to such access.
Elliott Aron Green - 4/12/2010
by Gesmanieh, Omar seems to be referring to what is called in English Gethsemane, derived from the Hebrew Gath Shmanim, meaning olive oil press. The Christian tradition regarding Gethsemane goes back before the Muslim-Arab conquest of the city in 638 CE. Nevertheless, the original Gath Shmanim may have been located to the south of today's Old City, outside today's Zion Gate, rather than the presently accepted location to the east of the Old City, outside Lions' Gate, and owned by the Roman Catholic church. At the same time, the olive trees on the present site seem very old. They have very thick gnarled trunks.
There seems to be a contradiction between the Christian tradition placing the site of the Last Supper [Coenaculum] outside of today's Zion Gate [Bab Sahyun, in Arabic] on the south, whereas the accepted location of Jesus' Via Dolorosa begins on the street coming in to the Old City from the Lions Gate on the east.
Be that as it may, the Zion Gate is named after a Byzantine church called Nea Sion which once stood close to that gate. Nea Sion means New Zion. So Omar's ostensible Christian partners in defining the city, as in We base our case on EVERY THING that makes Jerusalem what it truly is:Arab/Moslem-Christian, in fact related the city to its Jewish past by naming a church Nea Sion.
Furthermore, the Dome of the Rock does not express an original, Muslim/Arab architectural style but rather a Byzantine style. The octagonal plan of the Dome of the Rock [kubbat al-Sahra] was modelled on that of the pre-Islamic Kathisma church rediscoverd not long ago by Israeli archeologists just south of Jerusalem.
I must admit that the two main synagogues in the pre-1948, pre-Arab Legion destruction, in the Old City, the Hurva and the Tif'eret Yisrael, were also built after a basically Byzantine design, not after an Arab-Muslim design, God forbid, nor a Western Gothic design. The Hurva has recently been rebuilt and rededicated which prompted an Arab "human rights" group based in Gaza to call the rebuilding a "war crime" [I kid you not].
Furthermore, the Temple Mount below the surface is still the artificial platform built by the ancient Jews, last expanded by King Herod of Judea.
The mountain under the Temple Mount platform is the original Mount Zion. Today's Mount Zion and Zion Gate [Bab Sahyun] take their name from the Nea Sion church which once stood nearby, with some remnants still in place.
Can `Umar tell us why the Christians before the Arab conquest named a church Nea Sion?? Was this not a reference to the pre-Christian Jewish/Israelite history and traditions of the city??
omar ibrahim baker - 4/12/2010
As with all other aspects of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict Israel & Co base their case on very old, archaic, uncoroborated, semi mythical and often fabricated info that are defied and belied by material facts on the ground and by solid, objectively gathered and presented data .
Foremost among the former, material facts on the ground, is the still existing Jerusalem, both the Old City and the New whose main Arab character, as in its construction/architectural style, is all too plain for everybody to see despite some 60 years of continuous Israeli effort to deface it by new construction or by the demolition of old, historical, buildings.
(One has only to compare Tel Aviv to Jerusalem re construction and architectural styles to see for himself the Arab character of Jerusalem versus the hybrid-alien, western/Jewish? styles, and character of Tel Aviv.)
Re the latter, particularly in the domains of population and land ownership, all that an objective reader has to do is refer to, among others, the KING-CRANE Commission report , British land ownership records and UN records for the pre Israel era !
(All are on the web.)
omar ibrahim baker - 4/12/2010
Elliott, you contend:
"No Jews were allowed to come to that sector of the city, not to live there, not to visit there, not to go any Jewish historical sites or religious sites there. "
Do I have to remind you that during that period a STATE OF WAR existed between Jordan and Israel and that, as is always the case when a state of war exists , no communication or travel between the two warring sides is allowed?
That Arabs, particularly hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, were NOT allowed by Israel , then and NOW, neither to return to nor to visit their birth places, homes, shops, workshops, offices, schools etc etc ?
You are certainly aware of that but attempt to exploit the presumed ignorance of others.
That is cheap but not atypical!
Re "legacy" you base your case on a single quotation dating several thousands year back.
We base our case on EVERY THING that makes Jerusalem what it truly is:Arab/Moslem-Christian, and still is standing in Jerusalem today for all to see: the Old City and its ramparts, the DOME of the ROCK, the AL AKSA MOSQUE, the HOLY SEPULCHRE, The Gesmanieh all erected during the recent , 1500 years old, Arab and/or Moslem rule PLUS innumerable other public and private edifices.
Elliott Aron Green - 4/12/2010
Arnold, do you really think that any UN body has any moral credibility? In fact, the General Assembly is dominated by the OIC [organization of the Islamic conference] which has, by the way, issued its own anti-human rights "Declaration of Human Rights in Islam." Read it sometime. It rejects human equality and the rights of non-Muslims in a rather subtle way. But not too subtle, not even for you.
The Security Council, my dear Marxist-Leninist enemy of bourgeois law, is run by the empires. Or haven't you noticed? Can a red blooded, true blue Marxist-Leninist rely on a Security Council resolution? For shame, Arnold.
As to international law, I have explained before that Jerusalem was recognized as part of the Jewish National Home by San Remo [1920], endorsed by the League of Nations [1922], confirmed by the UN [1945]. When the resolution that you referred to was passed circa 1980, it was a manifestation of overwhelming Arab/Muslim influence over the UN and the open Judeophobia of the powers dominating the Security Council. But they could not legislate away the Jewish National Home status of the city ex post facto. So that resolution had no legal basis as well as no moral basis.
Elliott Aron Green - 4/12/2010
Well, Omar, it's nice that you brought up "historical legacy." The city was most glorious during Jewish rule and Jewish habitation. Pliny the Elder called the ancient Jewish Jerusalem: The most illustrious city of the East by far, not merely of Judea.
It was the Jews, if I may show my pride, that made Jerusalem meaningful and glorious in world history.
Omar, when you speak of historical legacy, you are playing the wrong card.
Besides that, in the 19 years of Arab [Jordanian] rule over eastern parts of Jerusalem captured in the Arab effort to thwart Israel's independence, those parts were subject to a racist, religiously bigoted Judenrein or apartheid regime. No Jews were allowed to come to that sector of the city, not to live there, not to visit there, not to go any Jewish historical sites or religious sites there. The foremost Jewish religious site in Jerusalem is the Temple Mount, usurped long ago by Arab/Muslims.
Peter Kovachev - 4/12/2010
Well, Messrs Green, Shalit and Mutik did the hard work here in exposing the lack of substance behind this sorry pseudo-academic concoction by yet another anti-Israel Israeli academic. Thank you gentlemen; the life-or-death importance of simple, truthful facts in such times is underrated. O, and thanks too to Arnie and Omar for loyally serving as the forum's ever-present cathedral gargoyles to remind everyone which side is the creepy and demented one. Memento dementate.
This leaves me free to entertain with my familiar rhetorical commentary from the (still cold) Great White North.
First, the bad. It is a bad, sad and shameful reality that so many Israeli academics abroad, such as Dror Wahrman here, feel that promoting the division and the guaranteed destruction of Israel's capital, not to mention the planned ethnic cleansing against their own people, while purveying intellectual amunition to their deadly enemies is the price they must pay for social and professional acceptance in the non-Jewish world. Echoes of John Murray Cuddihy's fascinating observations and conclusions in his *The Ordeal of Civility*? Perhaps. Whatever. When the fate of the Jewish state is so imperilled as it is now, academic wafflings over "micro-geographies" or the plight of the ambitious academic parvenus become silly luxuries.
The good news is that the familiar clump of Israeli academics and activists suffering from what a teacher of mine called the "hofjuden (court-Jew)complex" appears to have reached its quantitative and qualitative high-water mark. No amount of posturing, honours and verbiage can hide the fact that they are in reality a small collection of unsavoury cranks. Fortunately, an increasing number of young Israelis, academics and lay people, are rejecting the tired and fraudulent Leftist "narratives" and reaffirming Israel's prime Zionist principles. My teacher was partially wrong, or too kind, though; the hofjuden of old Europe may have profited from their relationships with the authorities, but when push came to shove, they usually tried to protect their communities and Jews in general. Unlike the recent crop of soul-less ghouls, most would have rather died before publicly advising naive or hostile powers on how to weaken and harm their own people.
The other good news item is that the Obamis' silly trick of sending the Vice-Buffoon to make a bigger buffoon of himself and then to issue a non-ending stream of hostility and transparent lies in what is most likely a stupid attempt ("smart diplomacy"?) to topple Bibi's coalition is backfiring. Chicago Ward goonery fails on the interantional stage. Majorities of Americans, Australians, Canadians and even a smagrowing number of Europeans, are now quietly but firmply, supportive of Israel. The good thing is that they are ever-more interested in the real issues regarding the little Jewish state, the disputed territories and Jerusalem. And this majority, judging by recent trends, is finally onto the tired crypto-Marxist convolutions of the craven mercenaries and shallow opportunists, and would rather hear from self-respecting Israelis, diaspora Jews and credible academics.
So, chins up folks, whether Jew or non-Jew, visit beautiful Israel and visit often. Those of you planning a Bat or Bar Mitzvah can think of doing it in Jerusalem...at dawn, with the warming sun painting the stones of the Kotel a bright pink. While there, do what some Canadian Jews have started doing: Don't buy into the "land for peace" piffle, buy a piece of Jerusalem land instead, singly or in groups, and keep the dream real.
Arnold Shcherban - 4/9/2010
The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution that declared the so-called Jerusalem law passed by Israel in 1980, i.e. changing of Jerusalem status to Israel's "complete and unified" capital, "a violation of international law" and requested all member states to withdraw all remaining embassies from the city.
Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem has been repeatedly criticized by the United Nations and related bodies.
Any other country in the region would be slammed with severe sanctions and more (if you know what I mean) for such outright violation of international law and essentially ignoring numerous UN requests for remedy for decades(!), but not Israel, who is kept above the law by another and the greatest of all violator of international laws and champion of double standards - USA - that blocks all attempts to even tangentially sanction Israeli Zionist governments in the UN Security Council for many decades.
That's a holy truth and our chorus of Zionists (not mentioning the entire world) knows this too well, but they will never publicly acknowledge the reality which is nothing less than actuality.
Instead they continue to forward a sophistry of facts and lies, that through sometimes does relate to the situation in question, but does not remedy the core of violations of the international agreements and resolutions made in the past; on the contrary it provides the "justification" for those violations.
omar ibrahim baker - 4/9/2010
A detailed, updated, well researched and seemingly well intentioned view of Jerusalem, correctly perceived by the author as the essence of Palestine.
Nit pickings and slanted presentation of minutiae , as for Greens', notwithstanding Jerusalem and lands in Jerusalem is neither primarily a question of land "legal" ownership (that British cadastral records can, as for the REST of Palestine, settle as far as pre 1948 Israeli conquest) nor a vague, undefined and an uncorroborated "consensus".
It is first and foremost a question of a HISTORICAL LEGACY that encompass not only mosques and churches BUT equally Jerusalemites of centuries long ownership and residence therein and a HISTORICAL SYMBOLand HERITAGE that distills the issue of an Arab, both Moslem and Christian, Palestine versus a Jewish " Israel".
"Outlying" settlements are also of cardinal importance for any potential settlement being the natural space, in the correct direction, for the normal growth of an Arab/Palestinian Jerusalem.
However the recuurence throughout of reference to the "legal" status of land ownership can NOT fail to underline the PROFANE nature of Israeli legalitism in that no mention is made , anywhere, of the farcical situation under which Arab Jerusalemites have being living since 1967.
Pre 1967 Arab Jerusalemites residing in East Jerusalem were denied access to their legitimate homes and land ownerships in WEST Jerusalem because they were "absentee" land and home owners , after the annexation, and unification, of both East and West Jerusalem these same land and home owners still residing in East Jerusalem, are still denied access to their legitimate homes and lands, for still being ABSENTEE!
That is the PROFANE world of Israeli legality and legalitisms which makes a mockery of the word and of all the concepts and principles underlying it!
Arnold Shcherban - 4/8/2010
You see, I told you: the chorus did not wait to be invited with one false crescendo after another.
Joseph Mutik - 4/6/2010
The peace process between the Palestinian Arabs and Israel is called "land for peace" which mean that in exchange for land the Arabs will return peace. The reality is that the anti Jewish hatred coming from the official Palestinian media is in rising and the US president asked only the Jews and not the Palestinians for concessions.
It's only normal, when the Palestinians don't show any inclination to peace with the Jews, for the Jews to show the Palestinians that the land isn't there forever.
Elliott Aron Green - 4/6/2010
I neglected to mention that the Shepherd Hotel was owned by the chief Arab Nazi collaborator, Haj Amin el-Husseini, whose family were major real estate owners in the Jerusalem area, also owning the Orient House Hotel, later the PLO headquarters in Jerusalem. Amin el-Husseini spent most of WW2 in the Nazi-fascist domain and collaborated in the Holocaust, urging Eastern European satellites of Nazi Germany to send Jewish children to Poland where, in his words, they would be "under active supervision." Auschwitz is located in Poland, a fact of which Husseini was aware. On the grounds of the Husseini connection to the Shepherd Hotel, the property's use for Jewish dwellings is right and proper.
For more on the "Palestine" notion, see:
On the international law status of Jerusalem see:
Sol S Shalit - 4/5/2010
With such an academic-sounding headline as "Micro-Geography Matters in Jerusalem", coupled with its author (Dror Wahrman) as a History Professor, you would expect to read a detached, objective account of the matter. You would be wrong. I have nothing against academics; I'm a retired economics professor myself. However, Mr. Wahrman is an academic with an agenda, a leftist, Israel-bashing agenda that he has amply demonstrated in public writing (e.g. "Is Israel Falling Apart?" [2007]). To fortify his credibility, Mr. Wahrman found it necessary to add:
"I grew up in a divided Jerusalem. I know full well why such an urban reality cannot and should not return. I then spent many years as a tour guide in Jerusalem, and have a deep investment in its 3000 years of history, with its rich cultural and religious associations."
Don't be fooled. Mr. Wahrman is a youngster, born long after the establishment of Israel. I, too, grew up in Jerusalem, before the establishment of Israel, and was there in during the siege of Jerusalem. Wahrman characterizes the situation in Sheikh Jarrah as "pernicious", but he has no idea what he is talking about. He was never there before 1947 in order to pass judgment; he wasn't even born. And apparently, he has not read enough history on the presence of Jews there. I was personally there many times when both Arabs and Jews lived there; for me as a boy, it was just a short walk from my own Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Israel. Our Jewish milkmen and our Jewish gym teacher, to mention a few, lived there. These facts go unmentioned in order to create an "occupation" scenario.
But the facts are:
1. The 'disputed' Jerusalem area of Sheikh Jarrah lies between the always-Jewish neighborhood of Beit Israel and the always-Jewish neighborhood of Mount Scopus (the site of the Hebrew University).
2. Sheikh Jarrah was mixed before 1947; both Jews and Arabs lived there. The Jews were driven out after 1948 when Jordan conquered the place and held it till 1967.
3. Sheikh Jarrah had the dubious distinction of being the notorious site where in 1948 a convoy of unarmed Jewish doctors and nurses going from Jerusalem to Mount Scopus was butchered to death by Arabs to the last person (about 100 killed), even before the war had started -- all while the British watched. Unfortunately, as a twelve-year old boy, I had to watch it helplessly in horror from our neighbor's roof.
4. Mount Scopus has always been, and is still today, the site of the Hebrew University large campus, and Israel has a legitimate and profound interest to keep the area not isolated from center Jerusalem, and prevent reoccurring of the 1948 atrocity. Having Jews return there and build there is amply justified.
Elliott Aron Green - 4/5/2010
There is nothing wrong with Prof Wahrman's article except some half-dozen errors, some more blatant than others, plus some faulty and offensive reasoning.
Since he is an 18th century specialist, he might verify my assertion of the likelihood that even in that period Muslims were a minority in Jerusalem, outnumbered by Jews and Christians together [see the populations estimates for ca. 1806 in Yehoshua ben-Arieh's book on the Old City of Jerusalem in the 19th century]. Now, Jews have been a majority in Jerusalem since 1853 [Karl Marx, New York Tribune, 15 April 1854; Cesar Famin, L'Histoire de la rivalite et du protectorat des Eglises chretiennes en Orient, 1853], if not earlier. And have been the largest ethnic-religious group in the city since 1839. It is true that then the Old City was the whole city, but the surrounding villages then had a very meager population, the population of the whole country between the Jordan & the Med then being estimated at some 200,000 to 250,000.
Also in the 18th century, there was no people called or calling itself Palestinian nor was there any region or district of the Ottoman or the previous Mamluk empire that was called "Palestine" or "Filastin."
Now Wahrman chooses to write of something called a "peace process." I don't know when Wahrman left Jerusalem but I have been living here since years before Oslo. I would say that most Jerusalemites would agree that there has been no phenomenon taking place here since 1993 that deserves to be called "a peace process." Arab terrorism accelerated when the Oslo accords were announced, even before Sept 13, 1993. If the US administration were truly interested in promoting peace it would try to manage the conflict rather than "solve" it since there seems to be no realistic, humane solution.
Now, as said, Jerusalem has had an absolute Jewish majority for more than 150 years. Moreover, Jerusalem became important for the world, for Christians & Muslims, because of Jewish history and religious facts here. The population of the city is growing among both Jews and Arabs. Before Oslo, many Arabs had moved out of the city for more spacious homes in the suburbs. However, Oslo and its product, the Palestinian Authority, induced many Arabs with ID cards citing a Jerusalem residence moved back because they did not want to live under Arafat rule. Further, many Arabs began applying for Israeli citizenship for the same reason. Long lines of Arabs were in place at the Interior Ministry offices in eastern Jerusalem for several years in order to apply for citizenship.
Another fact that does not cross Wahrman's mind is that Jews were buying much real estate in areas outside the Old City during Ottoman times [before 1917]. Har Homah was built mainly on Jewish-owned real estate. The Shimon haTsadiq Quarter, that Wahrman incorrectly subsumes within the Arab Muslim Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood [see these as distinct, if adjacent, areas in Dan Bahat's Jerusalem historical atlas] was purchased jointly by the Ashkenazic and Sefardic Jewish communal bodies ca. 1889, not 80 years ago as Wahrman claims. Tiny homes were built on the ca. 18 dunam [4.5 acre] plot for poor Jews. The reason for the purchase, which Wahrman gives no hint of, was the traditional tomb of Simon the Just [Shim`on haTsadiq] located there. Besides the tiny homes, most of the plot was not developed but was used for families to camp on during regular Jewish pilgrimages to the site. All but one of the Jewish families fled Shimon haTsadiq on the night of 29 December 1947. The remaining family fled on 7 or 8 January 1948 (exactly which day is missing from a diary shown me by a family member). Hence, Shimon haTsadiq became the first neighborhood in the country from which the population was driven out and did not return after the War. Jews had likewise fled south Tel Aviv in December 1947, but returned after the War, whereas Shimon haTsadiq remained under Arab control, as did several nearby Jewish quarters which thereby became part of what Arab spokesmen now call "traditionally Arab east Jerusalem," an apartheid, Judenrein zone for 19 years [1948 to 1967], an ethnically cleansed area since Jews were not allowed into the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for any purpose. For more on Shimon haTsadiq and surroundings, see link:
In 1955/1956, Jordan built homes for Arabs on the Shimon haTsadiq plot. The courts recognized the rights of the original owners years ago. The Arab tenants were not required to leave but just to pay rent to the owners. Most of them did so. The families evicted refused to pay rent. They are consciously taking part in a political show, a manipulation which has successfully produced the results that we have seen, such as Prof. Wahrman's claims. They have other places to live but choose to take part in mendacious political theater.
The history is clear although not known to everyone, apparently not even to Prof. Wahrman. The international legal status too is not universally known, although often misrepresented. Jerusalem was part of the Jewish National Home juridically set up by the international community in 1920 [San Remo], endorsed by the League of Nations [1922]. If Britain had not violated its mandate to settle Jews on the land and to allow Jewish immigration --severely restricting Jewish immigration through the illegal 1939 "White Paper on Palestine" [when the Jews most needed a home]-- then it is likely that Jews would have been much more numerous in Jerusalem and throughout the country than they were on 29 November 1947 when the UN General Assembly recommended partition of the country. Since Wahrman complains that Israel enlarged the boundaries of Jordanian Jerusalem and even mandatory Jerusalem, he ought to know that the UN GA enlarged Jerusalem a great deal in its recommended boundaries for an internationally governed Jerusalem enclave. This proposed enclave included Gilo, Har Homa, French Hill, Ramat Eshkol, Shimon haTsadiq, Silwan village, etc. Not included in the proposed enclave were two Jewish farming villages then north of Jerusalem, Neveh Ya`aqov & `Atarot. Their inhabitants fled for their lives early in the war.
As to Netanyahu's policy, it is as his government says, the policy of Israeli govts since Levi Eshkol in 1967, through Golda Meir, Yits'haq Rabin, etc. Shimon haTsadiq is on the old road to Mount Scopus, as is the Shepherd Hotel. Therefore they are of strategic import for safeguarding the Israeli institutions on Mount Scopus, the university and the hospital. They are also quite close to several Israeli govt ministries in the area between Mount Scopus & the 1949-1967 armistice line [Israel had no borders before 1967]. They are not "in the middle of a dense Palestinian neighborhood" as Wahrman claims. Besides the nearby Israeli govt buildings, there are large, prosperous Arab homes and foreign diplomatic premises in the area [such as the EU compound]. The British consulate nearby made sure to object to Jewish habitation and construction in the area.
The Oslo accords did not require Israel to stop building homes for Jews in areas beyond the 1949 armistice lines. All Israeli govts since 1967 have done so.
Wahrman incorrectly refers to parts of "East Jerusalem" as being "likely to revert back to the Palestinian side" in a "peace settlement." However, never in history did "Palestinians" [local Arabs] control any part of Jerusalem in the sense of sovereignty. After the Roman Empire suppressed Jewish sovereignty, Jerusalem passed to the East Roman [Byzantine] Empire, the various Arab empires ruling from Damascus and Cairo, etc, the Crusaders [when the city was both Judenrein and without Muslims], the Mamluk, Ottoman and British empires, and then the Jordanian kingdom before Israel took all of the city in 1967. "Reverting" to "the palestinian side" is simply incorrect.
The way that Wahrman writes of Jews moving into places where he does not want them to be --"an intrusive encroachment into Palestinian space"-- plus other references in his article make me think that he sides with the British consulate's efforts to promote apartheid in Jerusalem, as the British mandatory govt made it difficult for Jews to build on Jewish-owned land around Jerusalem before 29 November 1947. I find that offensive.
Arnold Shcherban - 4/5/2010
Thank you, Mr. Zohar.
You are one a few honest Jewish voices among the radical Zionist lying chorus.
David Zohar - 4/5/2010
As a Jerusalem resident of many years-and an Israeli Jew- I concur with the descriptions and solutions offered above.
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May 22, 2010 at 6pm to June 22, 2012 at 8pm – GRACE EXHIBITION SPACE & GALLERY Art Sync is a creative collaboration between artists from two different countries as well as a comprehensive study of the efforts and means used during this unique collaborate process. It is an exper… Organized by NuNu Hung | Type: art, exhibition, opening, reception, may, 22
April 13, 2009 to March 30, 2013 – Blurb on line http://www.blurb.com/books/508534 Miniscapes" book launch. Book covers a 15 year period of works portraying over 40 original illustrations approximately 10" x 14". They are essentially mixed media: m… Organized by Susan Shulman | Type: book, launch
July 24, 2009 at 7:30pm to September 24, 2011 at 7pm – 272 Clinton Ave. Brooklyn NY, 11205 Contact Gallery House 808/385 0312 or email@example.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS ADVISORY GALLERY HOUSE IS PROUD TO PRESENT STYLE OF NATURE BY JONATHAN LEVY 50% of all proceeds go to Council… Organized by Gallery House | Type: art, exhibition, fundraiser, environment
December 29, 2009 at 6pm to December 1, 2011 at 7pm – http://mariam74.ning.com Visit STILartLITLE Visit STILartLITLE: SOCIAL NETWORK MEETING POINT for: Painters, Sculptors, Ceramics, Mosaics, Engraver and Arts like Organized by MARIA MARCU | Type: invitation
June 23, 2010 at 6pm to June 23, 2011 at 7pm – Brooklyn CALL FOR ARTISTS BRIC Contemporary Artist Registry The BRIC Contemporary Artist Registry is now online. Founded in 1983, the Registry is one of the oldest and largest of its kind. The Registry… Organized by BRIC | Type: outreach
July 27, 2010 at 7pm to August 1, 2011 at 6pm – Ouchi Gallery Minoru Oikawa solo exhibition "YAOYOROZU MIX" @ Ouchi Gallery Opening Reception: July 27th (Tue) 7-10pm Exhibition: July 28 (Wed) - August 1 (Sun) 12-6pm Minoru Oikawa bio: Born in Miyagi, Japan i… Organized by Ouchi Gallery | Type: exhibition
October 8, 2010 at 6pm to October 7, 2011 at 6pm – Alice Chilton Gallery Your point will change... (recent performative drawings by Sarah H. Paulson) October 8 - November 7, 2010 About the exhibition: Alice Chilton Gallery will present Sarah H. Paulson's latest body of p… Organized by Alice Chilton gallery | Type: performance, art, exhibition
January 2, 2011 at 6pm to December 1, 2011 at 12pm – Show Artis Mercado will be featuring works through almost an entire year on the on The Show the Blog show ,blog section of the BAP Site. At the end of the showing he will give a lucky 0r (unlucky few… Organized by Perla | Type: http://www.brooklynartproject.com/profiles/blog/list
January 20, 2011 to July 31, 2011 – Venezuela General information.Topic: The Female NudeTechnique: PhotographyMaximum size of the work: 10.5 x 15 cmAmount of pieces: A maximum of 3 (three) pieces per author.Pieces should be sent to Francisco Acu… Organized by Francisco Acuña | Type: art, mail, call
February 6, 2011 at 6pm to December 6, 2011 at 9pm – Atelier degli Artisti Comunicato stampa mostra Atelier degli Artisti Via dell'Arco di San Callisto, 40 (Trastevere) Roma presenta la mostra: Espressioni Diseguali dal 14 al 24 Ottobre 2010 Inaugurazione giovedì 14 otto… Organized by Atelier degli Artisti, Espressioni D'Arte e Associazione A.C.C.A | Type: paint, exhibition
February 17, 2011 at 12pm to May 2, 2012 at 6pm – TNC Gallery Organized by Peter J. Ketchum | Type: painters x 10, art, exhibit, 12-6, daily
March 23, 2011 at 6pm to July 31, 2011 at 12pm – the show will take place in the Abbaye de Neumünster www.CULTUREINSIDE.com, international artist network with headquarter in Luxembourg, EUROPE, is publishing its call for entries 2011: CHANGES - a juried art exhibtion - This ongoing call is running un… Organized by gila paris /cultureinside | Type: ongoing, call, for, entries, -, visual, arts
March 24, 2011 at 6pm to February 10, 2012 at 7pm – Brooklyn NY cyberspace "War on Perfection" is my fight with our perfect world built by commercial photography and false journalism. I am independent artist, curator and journalists. working as an Art Director for Polish Da… Organized by Mieczyslaw Mietko Rudek | Type: contest
May 6, 2011 at 6pm to June 26, 2011 at 8pm – AG Gallery For Immediate Release: AG Gallery 107-A North 3rd Street Brooklyn, NY 11211 Announces, "Artronomy" Curated by Takeshi Iida May 6th, Fri - June 26th, Sun Opening Reception: May 6 th, 2011, 6-9pm A… Organized by Takeshi Iida | Type: group, exhibition
May 15, 2011 at 3pm to June 10, 2012 at 3pm – Diana H. Jones Center "URBANITY: INTERPRETATIONS OF THE URBAN LANDSCAPE" ~ Artist Talk: July 10, 2010. 1-2pm, Seating starts 12:30pm, open to public, free of charge, hablamos Espanol. ~ Weekly Hours: 5/15 - 7/10/10. Mon… Organized by Daryl-Ann Saunders | Type: art, exhibit, artist, talk
May 24, 2011 to June 28, 2011 – Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery A Thematic exhibition "Abstracts" by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery in a Juried Competition. A Group exhibition of the top five finalists will be held online at the Light Space & Time… Organized by John R. Math | Type: call, for, abstract, art
May 27, 2011 at 7pm to June 30, 2011 at 7pm – AREA lugar de proyectos, Caguas, PR colective of artist from the Virgen Islands and Puerto Rico. This colective was shown at the CMARTs in St. Croix last October during the Puerto Rico and Virgen Islands Friendship week. The show is… Organized by AREA lugar de proyectos, Caguas Puerto Rico | Type: art, exhibit
June 2, 2011 to June 25, 2011 – Ottawa, Canada Graeme Welch will be participating in a group show at the Patrick John Mills Gallery in Ottawa, Canada. Organized by Patrick John Mills Gallery | Type: exhibition
June 3, 2011 at 1:30pm to July 22, 2011 at 6:30pm – 110 CHURCH | gallery ARTIST RECEPTION JUNE 17, 2011 Friday 5:00 — 8:00 pm FIRST FRIDAYS JUNE 3 and July 1, 2011 Friday 5:00 — 8:00 pm Bill Brookover Jenna Hannum Colin Keefe Brian Piana Ana Vizcarra Rankin Abbey… Organized by heavy bubble | Type: exhibition
June 7, 2011 at 6pm to July 3, 2011 at 11:45pm – Governors Island, NYC The Governors Island Art Fair is accepting submissions for its 4th annual exhibition in September (2nd-25th). Governors Island Art Fair is dedicated to promoting independent artists. Governors Isla… Organized by 4heads | Type: call, for, artists
June 8, 2011 at 7pm to July 3, 2011 at 12pm – Syndikat Jazz Club Organized by Miguel Anselmo | Type: exposicao, de, pinturas
June 16, 2011 at 6pm to July 31, 2011 at 7pm – RHV Fine Art Henry Chung's latest exhibition of anonymous portraits in his on-going series Identity/Anonymity explores the relationship between technology, memory and identity. Rendered in an obsolete technology… Organized by Robert Henry Contemporary | Type: exhibition
June 18, 2011 at 6pm to July 12, 2011 at 7pm – Pandemic Gallery Pandemic Gallery Presents:BOXHOCKEY!!!The greatest game you probably haven't played yet!Invented (or at least perfected) by Derek Pippin Opening Reception:Sat. June 18th 2011, 7-11pmShow runs through… Organized by Pandemic Gallery | Type: art, show
June 20, 2011 at 7pm to June 30, 2011 at 9:30pm – Atelier degli Artisti Mauro Baldino si offre al pubblico romano in questa sua prima personale nella capitale con opere che potremmo dire, senza esagerare, danno una risposta ai dubbi sopra accennati. La sua storia di pitt… Organized by Tiziana Di Bartolomeo e Gianluca Tedaldi | Type: solo, exhibition
June 22, 2011 at 6pm to June 25, 2011 at 9pm – Performance Space 122 To begin and end the world as we know it... A veritable who's who of NYC performance promises to be on parade for 4 action-packed nights in the style of the original PS122 Benefits. Expect the unexp… Organized by Performance Space 122 | Type: performance
June 22, 2011 at 6pm to July 29, 2011 at 12:45pm – Light Space & Time Online Art Galley Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery announces an "Open" art competition for the month of July 2011. A Group exhibition of the top five finalists will be held online at the Light Space & Tim… Organized by John R. Math | Type: international, call, for, art

subset: commoncrawl


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|IED blast kills two, injures three soldiers in Orakzai
|[Dawn] Two security personnel, including an officer, were killed while three others sustained injuries in an IED blast in Ghunda Mela village of upper Orakzai Agency
... crawling with holy men, home to Darra Adam Khel, the world's largest illegal arms bazaar. 14 distinct tribes of beturbanned primitives inhabit Orakzai agency's 1500 or so square kilometers...
, officials said.
The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) has confirmed that two soldiers "embraced martyrdom" while three others were maimed in the blast during search of an old compound.
Tehsildar Orakzai Agency Nauman Khan has also confirmed that the security forces convoy was hit by a discarded improvised bomb when they were searching an abandoned compound.
The dear departed were later identified as Captain Hasnat Ali and Naib Subedar Arif Khan.
Earlier, jacket wallahs had attacked a military checkpost in Lakki Marwat early on Saturday, killing 13 soldiers and 11 civilians.
Banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) later grabbed credit of the attack.
|Posted by:Fred


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In need of rest, Kontos replaced with Petit
After 3 1/3-inning stint, reliever unable to pitch during tough stretch
SAN FRANCISCO -- The irony of George Kontos' yeoman relief stint Monday night was impossible to miss. For delivering extra effort and rescuing the Giants' bullpen from overuse, he was demoted.
Kontos threw 3 1/3 innings and 63 pitches, both career highs, in the Giants' 11-0 loss Monday to Cincinnati. That prevented the Giants from depleting their bullpen after Tim Lincecum's 3 2/3-inning performance. But it left Kontos unable to pitch for two or three days, which included Tuesday's doubleheader against the Reds. So the Giants, needing a fresh pitcher capable of providing long relief, purchased the contract of Yusmeiro Petit from Triple-A Fresno.
Meanwhile, Kontos was optioned to Fresno.
"They made the most logical move, I guess," said Kontos, who nevertheless appeared sullen as he sat by his AT&T Park dressing stall.
Kontos said that manager Bruce Bochy "seemed almost apologetic" while informing him of the move. With reporters, Bochy was logical. He noted that Kontos would have to rest his arm for the next few days and added, "We felt we needed somebody who can help us for two or three innings so we don't overuse anybody. That's why the move was made."
Kontos was 2-2 with a 5.05 ERA in 42 appearances, which was tied for the club lead with Javier Lopez entering Tuesday.
"We look at George as a guy who will be back up," Bochy said.
Petit had stints with the Marlins (2006) and Diamondbacks (2007-09) before replacing Tim Lincecum for one start last Sept. 23 -- one day after the Giants clinched the National League West. With Fresno, Petit was 5-4 with a 5.24 ERA in 12 starts, including a 3-0 mark and 2.57 ERA in his last three outings.
To clear room for Petit on the 40-man roster, the Giants designated Minor League right-hander Hunter Strickland for assignment.


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Since 2007, the University of Houston's Honors College has brought top scholars to campus to participate in the Ross M. Lence Master Teacher Residency. Through this program, academic leaders interact with UH faculty and students through lectures, workshops, luncheons and discussions.
This year, Michael Zuckert, Nancy Reeves Dreux Professor and Department Chair of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, will serve as the Lence Master Teacher. Zuckert will be on campus Feb. 17 - 18 and will speak at the following events on the second floor of the M.D. Anderson Library.
- 5:30 p.m., Feb. 17: "Jefferson's Moral Philosophy" in Honors College Commons - The Honors College Phronesis program presents this symposium that is open to the college's faculty, students and alumni.
- noon - 2 p.m., Feb. 18: Lecture on Shakespeare's "The Tempest" in the the Rockwell Pavilion.
- 6:30 - 9:30 p.m., Feb. 18: Ross M. Lence Master Teacher Residency Dinner in the Honors College Commons - RSVP required, $50. Contact Laurie Cedilnik at 713-743-9275 or go to http://thehonorscollege.com/lmt.
Zuckert is an expert on political philosophy, and has published extensively on Jefferson, Plato, Shakespeare, Orwell and contemporary liberal theory. He soon will complete his latest book titled "Completing the Constitution: The Post-Civil War Amendments." Forthcoming works will focus on Shakespeare and Machiavelli. He co-authored and co-produced the public radio series "Mr. Adams and Mr. Jefferson: A Nine Part Drama for the Radio." He also was senior scholar for "Liberty!" (1997), a six-hour public television series on the American Revolution, and served as senior advisor on the PBS series "Benjamin Franklin" (2002) and "Alexander Hamilton" (2007). He is currently head of the new Tocqueville Center for the Study of Religion in American Public Life.
The Ross M. Lence Master Teacher Residency is named for the late UH political science professor. Lence taught at UH from 1971 - 2006. He was a John and Rebecca Moores Scholar and held the Ross M. Lence Distinguished Teaching Chair. Lence was immensely popular with colleagues and students and served as the director for undergraduate studies for the department of political science for 23 years.
"Ross Lence was a legendary teacher at UH. When he died in 2006, a group of his students and colleagues decided to honor his legacy by establishing this master teacher residency," said Honors College dean William Monroe.
The Honors College at UH is a hub of excellence that serves the needs of gifted undergraduates in more than 100 fields of study and reflects the rich diversity of the University of Houston in its courses, faculty, and students. For over 50 years, the Honors College has offered students the best of both worlds: the advantages of a small college together with the comprehensive resources and rich diversity of a large university. For more information about the Honors College, visit http://TheHonorsCollege.com.


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Apologies for the delay. Blame Batman. Blame Arkham. Blame a massive sprawling game that sucks you into its world and keeps you there for nights on end. We've gone a little bit Batman crazy of late, to the extent that we're typing these words while watching Batman Returns on ITV 2+1. And to be honest, we can't wait for it to finish so we can get back to the game, which is so much better.
Tim Burton's vision of Gotham arguably has some crossover with that of Arkham City, but the world conjured up by UK developer Rocksteady is somehow darker, bleaker, nastier, and their Batman considerably cooler and harder than the one portrayed by Michael Keaton's curly-haired earnestness.
Bale out
Even the Christopher Nolan films can't compete. While two and a half hours of watching Christian Bale doing that acting thing as The Dark Knight tends to drag, a six-hour session of Arkham City seems like time well spent, time in which you fully throw yourself into the character, to the point that you begin to think like Batman. Of course the same could be said about 2009's superb Batman: Arkham Asylum, although compared to this, the original game starts to feel like a glorified tutorial.
With the asylum defunct, all of the crazies have been moved to one huge area of the city, now home to a slew of fully-fledged grotesques including The Joker, Penguin, and Mr Freeze. Some big personalities are in evidence, leading to a series of uneasy alliances, with the whole thing overseen by the sinister Hugo Strange, who happens to know Batman's darkest secret. Spoiler: he's Bruce Wayne.
It must have been tempting for Rocksteady to rest on its laurels and knock out an Arkham Asylum 2.0 with some leftover ideas, but Arkham City is so much more, fleshing out the concept into a fully interactive world that is five times the size of its prequel. Taking the open world route, there is a core story that runs through it, but it's bolstered by side missions and incidental action that makes for a highly individual experience. While Batman returns with gadgets galore, in many ways it's the city that's the star. Always shrouded in darkness under a gigantic moon, it's deeply atmospheric as you glide around picking up snippets of chatter from the scumbags below.
Fly boy
In fact you spend a huge swathe of the game gliding, which allied to the nifty grapnel gadget is the quickest way of getting around the city. It's a pair of skills that need to be mastered, as you'll sometimes be against the clock, with innocent lives at risk. As an example of the game's side missions, answering a ringing phone introduces a serial killer, who will have you chasing all over town answering phones lest he kill again. Side missions of course boost your XP, which can be used for a host of upgrades.
As for the main story, you'll come up against most of the major proponents, with boss battles that are always the right side of fair. Whenever you mess it up, it's generally your own fault, and the game provides a near perfect balance of frustration and reward. The combat has also been tweaked to make it easier to employ gadgets mid-scuffle, and the predator sections are as exquisitely tense as ever, with the detective mode again proving to be gaming's most honest way of cheating. As for the puzzles, there's a Zelda-esque level of elegance in solving them, and you are always left to think for yourself before the solution is hinted at.
Riddle me this
A devastating hybrid of RPG, action adventure, beat-'em-up and, er, flight sim, we're struggling to think of something negative to say about what is clearly one of the games of the year. If we wanted to be really fussy, we could have a go at Penguin's dodgy accent, or the fact that you have to enter a code to play as Catwoman, in a handful of largely inconsequential missions. If you buy the game second hand, you have to pay for the code (or simply ignore it).
But to be honest, we can't see that many second hand copies becoming available, as it's a game you'll want to play through again. In fact, even when it's over, it's not really over, as you can carry on and complete the side missions, as well as satisfy your OCD by collecting all the Riddler trophies, most of which now come with a devious puzzle attached. And there's also a 'new game plus' mode, in which you can start again with all your gadgets attached, albeit against harder enemies.
A hugely inventive experience, Batman bucks the current gaming trend in that you never once fire a gun throughout the course of the game, instead relying on ingenuity, gadgetry, and a decent right hook.
The lack of a multiplayer mode may be seen as a minus point by some, but Arkham City is proof that single player gaming is alive and well, providing a sublime challenge between gamer and designer. Tweaked to near perfection, this is marquee gaming at its very best, allied to a tight story, atmospheric setting, strong script and excellent voice acting. In the near century-long history of The Dark Knight, Batman: Arkham City sits at the very top table.


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This collection of short stories is not for the faint-hearted! While hearkening back to the macabre roots of the original Grimm's Fairy Tales, each of these stories features a plucky or clever heroine to cheer on—forget about pining princesses or damsels-in-distress. The stories are briskly written and acutely psychological, with the whole collection brought together by the atmospheric illustrations of Jane Laurie. There are the token popular tales of British and German origin, but mixed with several lesser-known tales, such as "The Red Shoes," and "Molly Whupple, "as well as some treasures from other cultures, like "Vasilisa's Fire," and "The Island of Skeletons". Get into the Halloween spirit with this book today!
By Allison S.


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This Fall is full of changes. From the time I moved to Sotheby's International Realty Canada, I went looking for new technology and marketing products to assist in presenting your properties at the highest level with a goal of providing you with better and better service.
Today I am very excited to introduce our new website!!
I've decided to merge my two websites: torontoism.com and richardsilver.com to a new platform, which will bring you a better experience reading our blog, viewing our listings, learning about Toronto's most interesting neighbourhoods and finding more information whether you're buying or selling in Toronto.
The new website will also help us showcase your properties in the best light and we will be able to share them on social media more effectively than ever!
Here are some great sections you can find on the new, redesigned Torontoism.com :
Every new article gets featured on the homepage, so you can easily find our newest content!
Your properties will be featured here on the front page, right under the newest stories!
If you're looking for information about the Top Toronto Neighbourhoods, you will find everything in our Toronto Neighbourhood Section.
Your listings will look better than ever on our Listings Pages! Take a look!


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Brian Duensing entered last night's start owning the third-highest WHIP against right-handed batters (1.63) – only surpassed by San Francisco's Jonathan Sanchez (1.64) and Detroit's Phil Coke (1.77) – in 2011.
This is not any accident of sample size either - including last season the Twins' left-hander has the fourth-highest WHIP versus righties among qualified starters. It is an amazing contrast considering he has managed to compile some impressive numbers against his southpawed brethren. Since 2010 he has a baseball-best 0.81 WHIP with the fourth-lowest .187 batting average when facing same-sided opponents.
When facing lefties, Duensing's approach is to work the fastball in on the hands and then unleash his sharp slider off the plate down-and-away. Lefties have found this extremely difficult to hit hard – if they make contact at all - beating the ball into the ground 52% of the time in 2011. This means very few extra base hits. Pepper in his ability to get them to chase the running slider and it equates to one bad mamma-jamma.
Of course, the world is dominated by the right-handed and Duensing has certainly played the role of the submissive this season.
His plan of attack against righties seems strikingly similar but for his secondary pitches. In terms of his fastball, Duensing targets the outer-half of the plate. Rather than using his slider like he does for lefties, he favors his change-up instead. Because he prefers to use a backdrop slider – locating the pitch on the outer-half of the plate to righties – the offering sees less horizontal movement. This gives righties a better opportunity to make contact. The changeup, while effective, is not nearly the same swing-and-miss pitch that the slider is. Hence, in order to be successful Duensing needs to work down in the zone and get grounders.
He did that quite well last year, as you will see in the chart below, but the Twins starter is not achieving the same results on batted balls as he did in 2010. Rather than the high amount of grass-killers, hitters are squaring up on his pitches more, hitting them for ropes around the ballpark:
Duensing's Batted Ball Distribution vs Right-Handers
Line Drive%
Using mostly his fastball, he leaves the ball up in the zone far too frequently, even more so than last season:
There is a stark discrepancy between the location of his fastball to right-handers between this year and the last. In 2010 (on the right) Duensing was able to keep his down in the zone – a more difficult spot for righties to hit solidly. This season more and more of his fastballs have been up and over the plate – a much easier place to drive the ball.
That alone is likely reason enough to explain the significant drop in his groundball rate against righties. However, let's factor in the placement of his most frequently used secondary pitch: the changeup.
While Duensing's primary pitch to right-handers is his fastball, he mixes in a changeup to keep them off-balanced. Last season, he was far more prone to throwing his change down in the zone, getting weaker contact and likely inciting more hitters to turn over on the pitch. This season, similar to his fastball, the changeup has been up and over the plate. This means opponents would have a greater tendency to drive the ball.
It was suspected that Duensing would find himself scuffling against the righties and witness regression. On the other hand, one had to wonder if he did have some of those rare intangibles (aggressiveness in the zone, efficient, bulldog-like battle tendencies) that continue to outperform where his peripherals would suggest he should be at. Unfortunately, it has been more of the former and less of the latter in 2011.
With Kevin Slowey putting together a string of good starts in Rochester, fans are beginning to clamor for change in the rotation. With a large deficiency in the standings to overcome, management cannot turn a blind eye to the struggles it much longer. While Nick Blackburn is likely the first candidate to be removed from the rotation, Duensing can't be far behind. If he wants to remain in the rotation, he needs to keep the ball down in the zone against righties.
Easier said than done.
Reminder: DiamondCentric is selecting two more winners for the 1991 World Series DVD collector's set and a Game Six t-shirt today and tomorrow. Head over the Facebook page, "like" the status and consider yourself entered.


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It's the 4th of July, which means it's Independence Day here in the States. Sadly, the WWE can't quite declare independence from its past, which is why we're likely due for more Hulk Hogan tonight, who just happened to show back up on Raw when his new reality show, Hogan Knows Best, is about to start on VH1. Check out the latest edition of Raw is Pimping, live from Sacramento, California.
And why not get straight to the pimping, eh? Carlito's Cabana is set up in the ring, and his guest tonight is going to be on a publicity tour that includes visits with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel and Regis and Kelly. But first, the immortal Hulk Hogan is dropping by the Cabana. Carlito rolls a clip from Hogan's show, and it is goofy stuff of the mind-blowing variety, featuring Hulk quizzing a 22-year-old potential suitor for his 16-year-old daughter, Brooke. Who knew the looming shadow of statutory rape was such fertile comedic ground? Carlito brings out the Hulkster, but the I-C champ really wants to know why he didn't bring Brooke. After all, she's hot, and Mr. Cool would love to take her out. Hogan attacks the host for talking like that, but Kurt Angle's music brings the Olympic hero to the stage. Kurt is upset that people cheer Hogan instead of him, especially since he made Hulk tap out last time they faced off. But you know who Kurt really wants to make tap out? That's right, Brooke. Hogan turns his attack on Angle, but a recovered Carlito hits the Hulkster with a DDT. That brings Shawn Michaels to the rescue, and since he doesn't say anything about Hogan's daughter, order is soon restored and the heels are forced to retreat.
Todd Grisham eavesdrops outside Eric Bischoff's office, where Michaels is ranting about wanting a piece of Carlito. I think we can see where this is heading.
Match 1 -- Edge and Snitsky vs. Big Show and Kane
I guess Snitsky is big enough now that he can drop the Gene and go by one name. Either way, he ends up working right off the bat when Edge wants no part of Kane. Big Show tags in for the good guys and looks for a chokeslam while Kane chases Lita around the outside, and we break for a commercial. Show is in a bit of trouble after the break, with both heels working over his left knee. Edge and Snitsky combine for a double shoulder block off the ropes, but Show turns the table a second later with a double suplex. Kane gets the hot tag and takes it to Snitsky with a jumping clothesline and a sidewalk slam. Edge is neutralized when he's dumped out to the floor, and Kane wraps things up with a chokeslam for Snitsky.
Grisham is still waiting outside the GM's office, but HBK finally tells him what he wants to hear: Michaels moaned and groaned enough for Bischoff to book him and Hogan to take on Carlito and Angle. What, no Brooke?
Match 2 -- The Heart Throbs vs. Viscera
The Throbs dedicate the match to Lilian Garcia, which I guess is supposed to make her feel better about being spurned by Big Vis. Romeo and Antonio hold their own surprisingly well, getting double boots up in the corner and hitting a double shoulder block. Then for some reason they are disqualified for crotching Vis on the ringpost, which doesn't usually bring an end to a match. Maybe the ref was just watching out for us.
Maria fills us in on an 11-person trade that took place after Smackdown last week. Actually, you have to go to WWE.com to get the details, and I don't have time to do that right now. [Or read it on SLAM! Wrestling - WWE announces trade to finish draft lottery.] One man who was definitely involved in the trade is Chavo Guerrero, but he looks a little different. Turns out his new look is by design, as Chavo announces that his Hispanic heritage has been holding him back, so he's joining middle class America and now wants to be known as Kerwin White. And for his first act on Raw, White makes Maria cry by calling her stupid. Nice. Elsewhere, Hurricane, Rosey and Super Stacy lecture us on the importance of sparkler safety, and hilarity ensues when Rosey's glove catches on fire. Maria is still pouting when the scene shifts back to her, so John Cena tries to cheer her up by telling her she has a lot going for her. For instance, she looks good, and ... she looks good. Cena tells Maria to show off her strengths and hide her weaknesses, which is sound advice from the WWE champ.
Speaking of The Champ, he has more business in the ring as the guest on Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel. Y2J brings him out since he's the closest thing to being as big a multimedia star as Jericho himself, though Chris is quick to remind Cena that he is doing better. Jericho rolls footage of Fozzy performing in England's Download Festival, though one wonders if all of the fans were really there to see Black Sabbath or System of a Down. Cena congratulates the host on all of his success and turns to leave, which for some reason Jericho takes as an insult. Y2J says he can take Cena's title any time he wants, but the champ shoots back that Jericho just proved that his so-called success is hollow without the WWE belt. Cena goes on to say that the fans aren't stupid, and they know Jericho has become a cheap sell-out. Words turn into actions when Jericho slaps Cena and the Doctor of Thuganomics responds by throwing some fists. Several referees run down to break up the ensuing scrap, but Cena gets the proverbial last word by taking a Cena foam hand and giving Jericho the middle finger on his way out.
Well, we made it this far, but there's no avoiding a new installment of the Raw Diva Search forever. The Coach and Christy bring out Sgt. Slaughter and the Diva finalists for Sarge's Bikini Boot Camp. The WWE has torn a rather large page out of Survivor's playbook by having the hopefuls compete for immunity from the first vote -- the girl with the fastest time in tonight's obstacle course can't be voted out of the competition. Coach demonstrates the course, which consists of doing 10 jumping jacks, hurdling a small wall, crawling under some netting in the ring, hopping in a canvas sack back down the other side of the ring, jumping rope 10 times and hurdling another small wall before crossing the finish line. In case you care and I haven't lost you yet, the results are as follows:
Ashley :48; Summer :41; Kristal :37; Elisabeth :35; Simona :49; Cameron :46; Alexis :54
Leyla, who you may remember as the girl who couldn't strip down to her bra and panties last week because she wasn't wearing underwear, seals up her title as trashiest Diva contestant by getting DQ'ed from the obstacle course when she pops out of her bikini top. Voting is taking place at WWE.com even as we speak.
Match 3 -- Val Venis vs. Rene Dupree
Yes, the French Phenom is apparently back on Raw as part of the trade. Venis scores with a Russian leg sweep in the early going, but Dupree answers with a hail of right hands. A Russian leg sweep gets a near fall for Val, but Rene uses a roll-up and some help from the ropes to bring the match to a swift conclusion a moment later. Guess we had to wrap that up quickly because we wouldn't want to short ourselves on time for the Diva Search or plugging Hogan's show, now would we?
The Smackdown Rebound explains why we haven't seen Christian or Batista tonight: they're over on the other show. Christian almost wins the six-man elimination match before falling to JBL, and Teddy Long announces that Bradshaw is not the Smackdown champion but the number one contender for the newly arrived world heavyweight title. Back in the arena, Grisham speaks to the unhappy tandem of Angle and Carlito and narrowly avoids having apple spit on him.
Now I do have a moment to visit WWE.com, so here are the results of the big trade. Raw gets Mark Jindrak, Dupree, Danny Basham (at least I think it's Danny), Kenzo Suzuki and Guerrero (now Kerwin White). Smackdown receives William Regal, Candice (and sponsorship from GoDaddy.com perhaps), Sylvain Grenier, Simon Dean and Stevie Richards. I think Smackdown also gets Raw's seventh round pick in the 2006 draft, cash, the rights to Doink the Clown and the ever popular future considerations.
Main Event -- Carlito and Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan
Wow, Hogan is in the main event two weeks in a row, which is great for nostalgia buffs but not so swell for Hogan haters like SLAM! Wrestling Smackdown writer Dale Plummer. Yes, I mention my buddy almost every week but if Hogan can plug, so can I. All four men get a chance to do some work in the opening sequence, with Hogan scoring on Carlito with right hands, a clothesline and a body slam. Michaels tags in and helps the Hulkster clear the ring so we can get to a commercial. We return to find Michaels and Angle battling on the top turnbuckle. Angle looks for a superplex, but Shawn knocks him down and drops his patented flying elbow. Angle rallies with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex for two, and Carlito tags in to keep the momentum going. HBK escapes several near falls and the Ankle Lock before countering an Angle Slam with a spinning DDT. Hogan gets the hot tag and sets his sights on Carlito, raining punches on Carribean Cool while pausing just long enough to dump Angle out to
the floor. The Legdrop finishes Carlito and the usual post-match posedown begins. But this time there's a twist: Michaels hits Sweet Chin Music out of nowhere and stands staring down at the fallen body of the Hulkster. A piece of trash flies toward the ring a la the old days of WCW, J.R. is apparently too stunned to do his "Why? Why?" bit and somewhere, Plummer is smiling. That's all for this week.
Nick Tylwalk has been a SLAM! Wrestling contributor since 1998. He wishes he could get back at Hogan by plugging something of his own but doesn't have anything on tap except next week's Raw report. Discuss this sad state of affairs at email@example.com


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text: Wednesday, April 25, 2012 Lessons Learned: Implementing PQRS Into Practice An engaging Q&A podcast on incorporating the physician quality reporting system (PQRS) in physical therapy practices addresses the barriers that clinical staff face in learning PQRS, concerns with documentation, and PQRS implementation strategies that include administrative staff. This podcast is the fourth in a series on PQRS and features Kevin Svoboda, PT, clinical growth and development director at Rehab Management Solutions, Jodi Woodward, director of medical billing at Rehab Management Solutions, and Connie Ziccarelli, principal and chief operations officer of Rehab Management Solutions. The guest speakers also discuss how they intend to use the PQRS interim report that will be provided this summer for the first quarter of 2012 to modify their program accordingly for the remainder of the year and begin 2013 in compliance with PQRS requirements.


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Juicy Couture
I hope you're sitting down for this news: Giambi named AL "Comeback Playah of the Year"
Ah, jeez, can we go ahead and give Kate Moss a D.A.R.E. sanctioned trophy for being a good role model for kids while we're at it? C'mon people. Think.
And people wondah why Red Sox fans are arrogant and why we think we're smahtah than all the othah fans combined. Hello!
The supreme irony, of course, is that if Giambi or anyone else had admitted to, say, hitting the 420 chronic bud aftah every game, the feds, the fans, the MLB would throw the war on drugs book at him.
But cheat by using a performance enhancing drug and it's all "Juicy Giambi come on down and see what you've effin won! Whoo hoo, America!"
If there's one consolation in this screw job it's that at least Giambi didn't thank the Almighty Jesus for his miraculous recahvry.
Hey, who the frig needs divine intervention when you've got "The Whizzinator"? I mean talk about your "Intelligent Design,"
It's the Parable of the Prosthesis.
Ask, and it will be given you; Seek, and you will find clean, dehydrated urine for the righteous ones.
Let him who has nevah tested false positive, cast the first whizz.


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At nearly 900 feet long, the 14-story Carnival Triumph is the largest cruise ship that has ever docked at Alabama's only seaport of Mobile. Authorities said the Triumph's final leg required hours of cautious nighttime maneuvering as tugboats eased it up a 30-mile ship channel from a shallow bay.
The Alabama Cruise Terminal hadn't seen a regular cruise ship call there since 2011. The Triumph arrived late Thursday night with the ship's horn blasting, its relieved passengers cheering as some shouted "Hello, Mobile!" and merrily danced aboard decks during the final docking.
After days of a maddeningly slow crawl across the Gulf, the Triumph was towed the last inches to dock at a similarly sluggish pace before passengers began disembarking.
A small group of tug operators was entrusted with Thursday's final task of guiding the disabled ship with more than 4,000 aboard into safe harbor, the final phase of a nightmarish tow across the Gulf after an engine-room fire left the ship powerless off Mexico last weekend.
Carnival spokesman and executive Terry Thornton said an experienced crew was called on to bring the hulking vessel safely the last miles into port.
"Our tug operators are experienced; our ship team is experienced,"he said as the ship began its final trek into port.
The ship on Thursday initially had entered Mobile Bay - a broad expanse of tepid, shallow water only 10 feet deep in many spots. The seaport is at the mouth of the Mobile River and the head of Mobile Bay - an industrial complex of shipyards, paper mills, plants and refineries.
The ship channel is a safe entry point across the bay for big vessels, tankers and cargo ships. That navigation channel is about 40 to 47 feet deep and about 29 miles long, transiting part of Mobile Bay to the mouth of the Mobile River. Its width varies from 400 to 775 feet at points and there are various turning basins and feeder channels.
At its entry point, the ship channel is about 400 feet wide. The Triumph at its widest is 116 feet, leaving only so much room on either side as four tugs guided the ship - one at the front, one on each side and one at the rear.
State Port Authority Director Jimmy Lyons said the most difficult part of the last leg home came Thursday afternoon when the ship entered the lower, southernmost part of the bay. There the ship and guide boats had to negotiate several channel turns while dealing with the water's tricky crosscurrents swirling from a nearby barrier island.
The terminal where the Triumph headed was built for Carnival. But it hasn't had regular traffic since 2011, when Carnival stopped running cruises out of Mobile after using the complex for several years.
The city is trying to get cruise ships to return full-time to the Mobile terminal.
Authorities said getting passengers safely off the ship and on their way home was the priority Thursday night. They said the vessel would then be taken later to a nearby facility in the port for damage assessments.


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10. The Apartment (1960)
Starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray
Directed by Billy Wilder
What it's about: C. C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is a lower-middle manager in one of the five largest companies in the country. He also has an apartment that's convenient to the corporate headquarters and the perfect lover's nest for Baxter's bosses to bring their mistresses.
Why watch it: For the education on office politics and the perfect comic timing of Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, who plays his love interest.
Business takeaway: The climb to the top might be rife with pitfalls and other moral judgments. How much do you want that promotion, and can you live with yourself if you compromise your morality?
Memorable scene: The scene where Baxter makes Fran a spaghetti dinner and, in typical bachelor fashion, strains the noodles with his tennis racket.
Memorable quotes:
C.C. Baxter: [narrating] On November 1st, 1959, the population of New York City was 8,042,783. If you laid all these people end to end, figuring an average height of five feet six and a half inches, they would reach from Times Square to the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan. I know facts like this because I work for an insurance company, Consolidated Life of New York. We're one of the top five companies in the country. Our home office has 31,259 employees, which is more than the entire population of, uhh … Natchez, Mississippi. I work on the 19th floor. Ordinary Policy Department, Premium Accounting Division, Section W, desk number 861.
C.C. Baxter: Miss Kubelik, one doesn't get to be a second administrative assistant around here unless he's a pretty good judge of character, and, as far as I'm concerned, you're tops. I mean, decency-wise and otherwise-wise.
Next up: Wall Street
9. Wall Street (1987)
Starring Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen, Daryl Hannah
Directed by Oliver Stone
What it's about: A young stock trader (Charlie Sheen) is willing to do anything to get to the top, including working with illegal inside information. His mentor, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) casts a dark mentorship.
Why watch it: For Douglas' performance as Gordon Gekko, which makes the movie. In rewatching 25 years after it debuted, Wall Street seemed dated in places, and Daryl Hannah's performance as Sheen's love interest was distractingly awful. With that said, the basic theme of being seduced by success, along with Douglas' great take on corporate greed, keeps this a cult favorite.
Business takeaway: Is greed good? The bubbles and market crashes and outright insidious behavior by many who control the global financial levers would tend to disagree with that notion.
Memorable scene: Gekko's speech to shareholders about greed is one of the most quoted scenes in film and won Douglas the Oscar for best actor.
Memorable quotes:
Gekko: I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.
Gekko: You got ninety percent of the American public out there with little or no net worth. I create nothing. I own. We make the rules, pal. The news, war, peace, famine, upheaval, the price per paper clip. We pick that rabbit out of the hat while everybody sits out there wondering how the hell we did it. Now you're not naive enough to think we're living in a democracy, are you buddy? It's the free market. And you're a part of it. You've got that killer instinct. Stick around pal, I've still got a lot to teach you.
Next up: Death of a Salesman
8. Death of a Salesman (TV 1985)
Starring Dustin Hoffman, Kate Reid, John Malkovich
Directed by Volker Schlöndorff
What it's about: The Arthur Miller play comes to life in this made-for-TV version, which was also penned by Miller. It's the classic tale of Willy Loman (Dustin Hoffman) a traveling insurance salesman who is slowly losing his mind and his will to live.
Why watch it: You might be familiar with the play, but Hoffman's incendiary performance as Willy Loman makes it well worth another viewing.
Business takeaway: You are only as big as your dreams, but to realize those dreams you have to be willing to take the first step.
Memorable scene: Where Biff (John Malkovich) visits Willy at the hotel in Boston, forever changing the direction of both of their lives.
Memorable quotes:
Biff Loman: [arguing with Willy] Pop, I'm a dime a dozen and so are you…
Willy Loman: [shouting] I am not a dime a dozen! I'm Willy Loman and you are Biff Loman!
Biff Loman: [to his father] Will you let me go, for Christ's sake? Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?
Next up: Office Space
7. Office Space (1999)
Starring Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, David Herman, Gary Cole
Directed by Mike Judge
What it's about: If the cartoon character Dilbert were not animated, he'd probably work at Initech, the kind of data- and process-driven company where careers go to die. Instead of Dilbert, we get Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) who has had enough with all the systems and processes and paper pushing that goes on at Initech.
Why watch it: In 90 minutes, Office Space is able to capture the claustrophobic frustration of cubicle office life that has taken Dilbert and The Office years and years and years to tell.
Business takeaway: If you're disgruntled about a current job, go take a long look in the mirror. If it's you, change your attitude; if it really is the job, then hit the road and get on with your life and career.
Memorable scene: Where Peter Gibbons and his cohorts go to the empty field to destroy the white collar crime evidence on the computer.
Memorable quotes:
Bill Lumbergh: Hello Peter, what's happening? Ummm, I'm gonna need you to go ahead and come in tomorrow. So if you could be here around 9 that would be great, mmmk… oh oh! and I almost forgot ahh, I'm also gonna need you to go ahead and come in on Sunday too, kay. We, ahh, lost some people this week and, ahh, we sorta need to play catch up.
Bill Lumbergh: Oh, and remember: Next Friday… is Hawaiian shirt day. So, you know, if you want to, go ahead and wear a Hawaiian shirt and jeans.
Dom Portwood: Hi, Peter. What's happening? We need to talk about your TPS reports.
Peter Gibbons: Yeah. The coversheet. I know, I know. Uh, Bill talked to me about it.
Dom Portwood: Yeah. Did you get that memo?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah. I got the memo. And I understand the policy. And the problem is just that I forgot the one time. And I've already taken care of it so it's not even really a problem anymore.
Dom Portwood: Ah! Yeah. It's just we're putting new coversheets on all the TPS reports before they go out now. So if you could go ahead and try to remember to do that from now on, that'd be great. All right!
Next up: Moneyball
6. Moneyball (2011)
Starring Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill
Directed by Bennett Miller
What it's about: In 2001, faced with an ever widening gap between the money teams (Yankees, Red Sox) and small market teams (his own Oakland A's), GM Billy Beane knows he has to find another way to compete. The direction he takes, which relies on statistical analysis more than old fashioned scouting, disrupts the order handed down for a century by the baseball gods.
Why watch it: If you want to get a better understanding of the business of sports as well as how to compete with less, this is the one movie to see.
Business takeaway: Sometimes you have to break the traditional models and step outside the age-old norms to find success.
Memorable scene: Watching Beane (Brad Pitt) unable to watch his own team's games. Instead, he spends his time working out on an elliptical machine or driving donuts in his pickup truck.
Memorable quotes:
Billy Beane: I pay you to get on first, not get thrown out at second.
Peter Brand: People who run ball clubs, they think in terms of buying players. Your goal shouldn't be to buy players; your goal should be to buy wins. And in order to buy wins, you need to buy runs.
Billy Beane: You get on base, we win. You don't, we lose. And I hate losing, Chavy. I hate it. I hate losing more than I even wanna win.
For the rest of the list, visit www.lifehealthpro.com/bestbusinessmovies.


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Sealy Activsleep Ortho Extra Firm Divan
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