Wanderings

Sunday Morning

2012-01-07T23:22:00.001-08:00

Am learning how to use the RDP (Recreational Dive Planner), a card containing three related tables,which are used to determine residual nitrogen levels after successive dives. The aim is to keep nitrogen levels low enough to avoid Decompression Sickness.

The other photo in this post is a Container Ship coming from Taba or, perhaps, Eilat.

Dahab

2012-01-07T07:35:00.001-08:00

I walked along the beachfront this afternoon.

Completed two dives today-- open water dives start tomorrow. Wonderful views of coral and brightly coloured fish. Too bad I don't have an underwater camera.

Coalinga Trip

2011-11-30T16:09:00.001-08:00

I took my mother to Coalinga yesterday. We had lunch at Sweetly Devine, which opened on Valentine's Day of this year.

Had a chat with the owner. Some years ago, she had worked at Harris Ranch, married a Devine, had children, got divorced, moved away to Paso Robles, returned, remarried, and started the restaurant. Good food, refreshing atmosphere, and, best of all, not a chain restaurant.

Afterwards we drove into Los Gatos Canyon to the northwest.

Coming out of the canyon on our return we saw this strange object.

The tower is a solar water heater surrounded by mirrors which reflect sunlight onto the boiler. You can see the mirrors on the left horizon. The hot water is pumped into the ground to recover the oil from the almost pumped out Coalinga oil fields. The project received financing from Chevron (who owns and operates the oil field), Google, and others.

As we headed back towards Fresno we passed the Harris Ranch Feedlot. According to Wikipedia,

The ranch is known to travelers for the "ripe, tangy odor of cow manure", described alternately as a "horrible stench"^[5] and "a good, honest, American smell".^[6] Food writer Michael Pollan was inspired to conduct the research on factory farming that lead to his seminal sustainability book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, by the smell.^[5] The owner of Harris Ranch, in turn, threatened to withhold a $500,000 donation to California Polytechnic University if it sponsored a speech there by Pollan.^[7] In reference to the large number of cattle processed at its facilities, some critics have nicknamed the ranch "Cowschwitz",^[5] comparing the slaughtering of cows to the slaughtering of Jews during the Holocaust at the death camp, Auschwitz.^[4]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11^]

2011-11-27T17:33:00.001-08:00

I went to Pinnacles National Monument yesterday to take a walk. I took CA-180 west towards the mountains to the west of the Central Valley. The Central Valley is a flat, featureless plain, which, at this time of year, can be extremely foggy. One passes through miles, of vineyards, fruit and nut trees, and cotton fields. South of the road, at one point, is an enormous cattle feed lot. The valley is home to some of the worst air pollution in the United States. Most of the land on the west side of the valley is under corporate ownership, and factory farms are the norm.

Years ago the main crops were cotton, grain, and seed alfalfa. With less than 10 inches of rain, vast amounts of water were pumped from the aquifer, resulting in depletion of the aquifer, and an overall decline in the quality of the water. In the early 1960s, California voters approved a bond issue to finance construction of the California Water Project to move water from Northern California to the water deficient municipalities of South California. The major landholders on the west side of the valley, the Southern Pacific Railroad, the Kern County Land Company, Russell Giffen, Jack Harris, and others, managed to get about 30% of the water at subsidized rates as it passed through the west side of the valley on its way to Southern California. See Public Citizen PDF for an analysis. With taxpayer subsidized water, thousands of acres of more profitable crops such as almond tress, vineyards, pomegranates, and other fruits were planted.

In this part of Central California, there are three parallel chains of mountains which make up the Coast Range, and lie between the Pacific Ocean and the Great Central Valley of California (the south half of the Central Valley is called the San Joaquin Valley). I decided to take the Panoche Pass Road-- it's more direct, but the initial part is unpaved.

The road climbs up to a plateau at just over 1000' elevation, where it crosses a stream.

As the road climbs up to Panoche Pass the vegetation changes to Oak and brushlands.

The road tops out at 2,250 feet and descends into the San Andreas Fault Valley about 12 miles south of Hollister (one of the most seismically active areas in the world-- lots of small quakes, but rarely a big one).

I arrived at the Pinnacle Visitor Center shortly after noon.

I parked in the overflow lot and set out for the High Peaks Trail. Saw a Raven and a Berwicks Wren

After about three miles, I reached the bottom High Peaks Trail.

More views from the High Peaks Trail.

Beginning of the descent along the Condor Gulch Trail.

This photo was taken after dark in Bear Gulch.

2011-11-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

Paid a visit to Occupy Fresno today, and took my mother out to lunch at the Santa Fe Basque Restaurant.

2011-11-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

1 November 2011

Slept until 11 this morning. I think Ineeded it.

Ingrid and I went down to H Street tovisit the homeless encampment , under demolition by Caltrans. Caltrans is the state agency in charge of highways in California. They want to demolish a bridge which covers part of the homelessencampment. The encampment has been there for years, and, in myopinion, the folks there should be relocated, rather than simplyevicted.

The Caltrans employees doing theevicting appear to be only one level above the homeless people beingevicted. Also respect for private property appears to depend on theecononic level of the owner. The homeless get no respect. The levelabove the homeless manage to hang on so long as they have employmentand are able to make mortgage payment to banks. The banks, in turn,get bailed out by they taxpayers, which include the employed, if nota few of the homeless, and the rest of the 99%. Nice system for banksand the 1%!

Met Alfredo Osos. Alfredo and John(who I think may be a cousin) were sitting next to a Coleman tent(Alfredo's home). Alfredo asked me to photograph his family treewhich was drawn on the concrete wall near his tent. Alfredo told methat he is a native-American, and that people like me, had stolen theland that was theirs. Alfredo is waiting for Caltrans to dispossesshim.

Robert J. Myers

2011-02-24T04:25:00.000-08:00

This morning, I was going through the obituaries on the Society of Actuaries website,and found that Robert J. Myers died in February of 2010 at age 97. Bob Myers, as he wished to be called, was one of the architects of the US Social Security System. I remember Bob as a fixture at SOA meetings throughout the 80s and 90s. He was always an energetic supporter of Social Security during the attacks on the system during the Reagan years.

In 1996 Bob was interviewed by the Social Security Historian, Larry DeWitt, as a part of an Oral History project.

Eugene Style Chippey

2010-11-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

I just had dinner at the Fish Market in Eugene. It's a pretty basic place with exposed ceiling stuff, Formica topped tables and chairs to match, and retail fish market included. The menu includes fish and chips with a very large selection of fish-- basic cod, halibut, wild salmon, tilapia, mahi-mahi, and even sturgeon! Chips are waffle style, and are really quite tasty. In addition to the traditional breading and deep frying, there is also an option to have the fish grilled. On top of all that, they also serve a really delicious cioppino (an Italian fish stew) in, of course, a Styrofoam bowl. Dungeness Crab is also on the menu.

Prices (except for beer) are quite reasonable-- $6.49 for cod and $9.99 for halibut.

Speaking of fish, Doug Mackey came over last night and fixed dinner-- wild Alaska salmon with a caramelized sauce with lots of black pepper, some onion, and some garlic. The fish was accompanied by rice, and carrots from Doug's garden.

From Wild Salmon Dinner at Grandview

Anarchist Yacht Clubb

2010-11-11T20:45:00.000-08:00

I found this video inspiring. The subject matter deals with sailing, the ecological problems created by mass-consumption, and the pursuit of a dream. Amazingly, the video is put together with many still photos along with videos shot using very basic equipment. It tells a wonderful story about "the maniacs" of sailing.

Hold Fast from Moxie Marlinspike on Vimeo.

Staple Inn Hall Talk

2010-06-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

Wrexham and Shropshire

en route to Telford

I attended an Open Forum on sovereign debt risks: devaluations and resultant economic impacts - UK and Greece. Speaker was Stephen King, who writes for the Independent, and has a new book out (about which he made a shameless plug). He made some interesting points about the effects of globalism on the willingness of a country to default on it obligations-- many countries are heavily in debt to foreigners, and, in order to pay them, have to do it at the expense of their own taxpayers. In democracies this may not be politically feasible. He also discussed currency devaluation as a way of engaging in what he calls “stealth default”. Seems to me that currency devaluation is the way that the US may default on its debts to its main creditors-- China and Saudi Arabia.

Few interesting facts--

Japan's debt/GDP ratio is 200%, but they owe it mostly to themselves.

US has a debt/GDP ratio of 90% with half owed to foreigners.

70% of Greek debt is owed to foreigners.

Sun on Sunday

2010-05-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

It was a glorious morning. I went to meeting in Stafford. On the way to the bus stop I crossed a field of dandelions.

Dandelions and Daisies

Changes

2010-04-24T05:54:00.000-07:00

Telford, Shropshire

I've decided to make some changes. I've been doing contract work in Telford for almost two years, and, quite frankly, it's no longer any fun. I'm planning to work out my leaving date next week. I feel that I need to be in the States for a bit-- Mum is 90, and I would like to see her again. I'm also thinking about going to Sailing School, and getting bareboat charter certification. I could do it in Olympia, or possibly, somewhere here.

I'm also thinking of going to Palestine in early August to learn some Arabic-- The PAS programme at Birzeit University offers courses in Colloquial and Modern Standard Arabic.

Cape Town

2010-03-06T11:20:00.000-08:00

06 March 2010
Cape Town
Southern Sun Waterfront

This is my home for the next seven days.

Finally am in Cape Town. Flight down was uneventful, except for leaving Paris and Johannesburg late. Paris – Johannesburg was on an Airbus 380, which I am told is the largest plane flying. Not too different from a 747, except that the two decks run for most of the length of the airplane. Carrys 540 or so odd souls. Boarding at Paris took two gates: Pont Superior (Upper deck) E53, and Pont Inferior (I assume), E54. I was in Pont Inferior.

In Johannesburg, I went through passport control, and customs (not unlike the US), walked forever, rechecked my bag, and finally boarded the flight to Cape Town (which departed about half an hour late). Arrived almost on schedule, only to be told by the ICA 2010 people, that I had missed the coach into town by five minutes. Caught the next one at about 4:10, and was transported to the hotel here. (See below for view from my room).

On the way in, we passed numerous shanty towns, and a few LA type suburban type developments. I assume that the shanty towns are inhabited by blacks and that the suburban type developments contain mostly Afrikaners.

Had dinner at a strange Sushi place-- no Japanese, run by Afrikaners, with blacks in subordinate roles. TV had a rugby game going. I assume that the blacks live in the shanty towns-- although I'm going to try to verify this.
Tomorrow is another day.

Sunny Saturday in London

2010-02-20T03:11:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in Comptoir, a Middle-Eastern restaurant near Paddington. They also have free Wifi. Just had foule, coffee, and a croissant for breakfast. It's a beautiful sunny day here.

Jordans Meeting House

2010-02-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

31 January 2010

Went to Meeting at Jordans, and took a few photos.

From Jordans Meeting House

The burial ground reminds of stone circles that I've seen-- a place of quiet and peace.

From Jordans Meeting House

Some notable Quakers are buried here.

From Jordans Meeting House

The Flash, Priorslee

2010-01-04T10:42:00.000-08:00

These photos were taken yesterday. The lake is called The Flash.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-30T11:50:00.000-08:00

Photos from visit with Andrew, Maryam, and Jaspar.

Olympia Rafah Mural

2009-12-30T10:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos that I took of the Olympia Rafah Mural when I was in Olympia at Thanksgiving. I invite comments from anyone who participated in the mural project.

The Right in Israel

2009-07-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

Here is a sobering video.

Al Jazeera

2009-07-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

I've been watching Al Jazeera online the last couple of days. They had a a couple of features dealing with US issues.

The first was a feature on a Mexican family. The parents had been in the US for 20 years, and had three children. The lived in a nice house in suburban San Diego. The parents attempt to legalise their status. For their trouble they were deported, leaving the children (American citizens) to fend for themselves. The programs was about the daily struggles of teh 18 year old daughter to hold the family together and to keep the house.

The second was about the fight over water resources in the Klamath Basin.

Both were really excellent. Sadly such stories do not often appear in the American Media. Too bad Al Jazeera is not available on US cable or satellite out lets.

Liverpool Week-End

2009-07-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

I went to Liverpool this week-end. I stayed at Opal Court, a university residence hall, and went to some Arabic Arts Festival events at the Blue Coat. Also spent part of the afternoon at the Picture House Pub (near the Empire Theater) having a couple of beers ans watching a couple of guys play cribbage-- something I used to play with my father. I started to wonder whether it was a game played by seamen. Liverpool was and still is something of a port city.

On Sunday was the Under and Over the Mersey Walk with large crowds, thousands of walkers, drummers, and threatening skies.

Here are a few photos that I took.

Liverpool Week-End

Finally here are videos of the Sufi Dancer, and the drummers.

Gaza, Stafford, and PSC Conference

2009-07-12T09:43:00.001-07:00

Here is a video from the Spirit of Humanity shortly before it was boarded and seized by the Israeli Navy.

I went to Stafford this morning for Quaker meeting and to buy groceries. Photos were taken in Market Square.

Yesterday, I attended a Conference on Palestine in Birmingham. Many of the usual suspects were there, including Karma Nabulsi, who was at the SOAS Conference in London. The conference was well attended. Plans are afoot for a larger gathering at the Rafah crossing on New Years Day. I'm really thinking about going. My contract here has been extended to the end of the year, and I've decided not to let it go beyond that. Going to Rafah is as good a reason as any to refuse an extension.

Grandview house in the rain.

2009-05-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

Photos taken on 2 May 2009...

Procession of the Species

2009-05-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

25 April 2009
Procession of the Species, Olympia, Washington..

Christmas Photos

2009-03-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

I was in New York for Christmas. Here are some photos.

Gaza

2009-01-09T11:03:00.000-08:00

I just sent the following message to Senators Murray and Cantwell:

Dear Senator -----,
I'm writing to ask you to oppose the Senate Resolution supporting Israeli actions in Gaza. The resolution is weighted heavily in favor of Israel. I would suggest a more balance statement which acknowledges the grievance of the Palestinians-- namely the illegal seizure of Palestinian land in the West Bank, and the illegal and immoral blockade of the Gaza strip. The blockade has resulted in many deaths due to inadequate medical supplies, adn teh refusal of Israel to allow people out to seek medial care not available in the strip.

Finally, even the Red Cross has publicly accused the Israelis of denying medical aid to wounded civilians. This is a very unusual step for the Red Cross. Normally they do not publicly air accusations of this nature. Please recognize that a real human catastrophe is taking place in Gaza.

Israel does not need unquestioning support. It need to be told in unequivocal terms taht certain behavior is unacceptable.

Please vote no, or at least present on the resolution.
Dear Senator Murray,
I'm writing to ask you to oppose the Senate Resolution supporting Israeli actions in Gaza. The resolution is weighted heavily in favor of Israel. I would suggest a more balanced statement which acknowledges grievances of the Palestinians-- namely the illegal seizure of Palestinian land in the West Bank, and the illegal and immoral blockade of the Gaza strip. The blockade has resulted in many deaths due to inadequate medical supplies, and the refusal of Israel to allow people out to seek medial care not available in the strip.

Finally, even the Red Cross has publicly accused the Israelis of denying medical aid to wounded civilians. This is a very unusual step for the Red Cross. Normally they do not publicly air accusations of this nature. Please recognize that a real human catastrophe is taking place in Gaza.

Israel does not need unquestioning support. It need to be told in unequivocal terms that certain behavior is unacceptable.

Please vote no, or at least present on the resolution.

British Musuem

2008-10-05T03:53:00.000-07:00

I went to London yesterday to pay a quick visit to the British Museum.

On the train back, I shared some red wine with couple of barristers, who were returning to the Birmingham. Both work in Criminal Law, and have tried murder cases as both as defense counsel and as prosecutor.

Patrick, who is about 60, told me of a case where he defended a man accused of murdering a 3 year old child. The jury voted 10 to 2 to convict, and the defendant went to jail. One of the two jurors who voted against conviction came to Patrick, and asked if there was anything she could do. She wrote letters to the court and to the Crown Prosecution Service. After the initial appeal was rejected, the defense hired a new forensic pathologist, who concluded that the injuries suffered by the victim had not been inflicted by the implement that the prosecution said had been used. After a review, a Crown pathologist agreed, and the defendant was ultimately released.

Bank Holiday Week-end in London

2008-08-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

I just returned from London, where I visited Andrew and his wife Maryam. We spent yesterday wandering around Greenwich, and the south bank of the Thames. Here are a few pictures.

Also visited Lindellica where there are photos of my granddaughter celebrating her second birthday.

The photo below is my daughter Heather. It was taken in the summer of 1972.

Back in Nairobi

2008-04-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

After a 10 hour bus ride, I'm finally back in Nairobi. I left Kakamega about 8 this morning. The return trip was through Kisumu and Kerricho. The road was truly awful from Kisumu to Nakuru. Will post more later along with photos.

Eldoret

2008-04-03T03:56:00.000-07:00

30 March 2008

We caught the 7 am Easy Coach to Eldoret. The A104 heads Northwest and climbs steadily to an elevation of 8,279 feet as it leaves Nairobi before descending to 6,200 feet at Lake Naivasha. Naivasha is home to a large IDP Camp, a result of the post-election violence. We made a brief meal-stop in Nakuru in the Rift Valley. The road deteriorates markedly, and continues westward from Nakuru to the junction the B4 where we observed whole areas of burned out homes. From the B4 the road continues to the Northwest climbing out of the Rift Valley into the Western Highlands, crossing the Equator at an elevation of 9,100 feet. We finally arrived in Eldoret about 2:30 pm, and took a taxi to the Marantha Church compound in Kipkarren.

The Marantha Church is part of a Pentecostal Group, and is the site of one of Del's bio-sand water filter projects. Upon our arrival, we were welcomed warmly by Pastor Milton and his family. Also staying at the Marantha compound are Don and Todd, a pair of itinerant American evangelists.

Went to services in the evening. Don preached in English, and Pastor Milton translated into Swahili.
The sermon included vignettes about Tracey Cory, a concentration camp survivor, who got saved and forgave his Nazi guard (who was also saved). Music was lively and good.

After supper, Pastor Milton recounted his experiences during the recent troubles. When he received information that the mob was coming for him, he evacuated his wife and most of his family to Eldoret, where they slept on the street. His sons chose to stay. For a week they kept alert. Groups showed up and threated to attack, but, in the end, withdrew.

31 March 2008

Today we visited the IDP Camp at the Eldoret Showgrounds. There are 12,000 people housed there, mostly displaced Kikuyus. There were many stories and a multitude of children. The Eldoret Camp is a "show camp" . There are sufficient latrines and showers, schools and activities for children, and adequate food. Many IDPs are not so fortunate.

Eldoret Showground IDP Camp

2 April 2008

Yesterday we went into town for supplies. Del bought some thin sheet metal to be cut into plates for his water filters. The material is shiny, and is thin enough to be made into Anahats (funnel solar cookers). I will pursue this further.

This is what scaffolding looks like in Eldoret.

Don's sermon this evening was on timeliness. I think he was less that successful in building a case for being on time as being mandated by scripture. Also, such a message does not play well in Africa. Punctuality is not considered too important!

Milton and his son, Alpha, went to fetch Phoebe, Milton's 14 year old daughter from a her boarding school. The school sounded dreadful-- prefects are given authority to cane students. Phoebe seems like a pretty normal 14-year old.

3 April 2008

Today we met with Alida Fernhout, a Canadian woman working with Christian Reformed World Relief. She is going to accompany us to the SCI project at Nyakach, near Kisumu, on 16 April.

This afternoon we are going to Kakamega. So far I have not heard from Wilberforce.

Nairobi

2008-03-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Nairobi this morning after an overnight flight from Amsterdam. The I got my visa, and picked up my baggage without incident. Maggie, a tall very attractive woman taxi driver, took me top the Grace Guest House for 1,800 KS (about $30). I checked in, took a shower, and had a long nap before Del Livingston arrived. He had been over to Mombasa and Thika for a few days. We just returned from getting coffee, a snack, shampoo, and some water. Tomorrow we're taking the bus to Eldoret.

Guests at the Gracia are mostly African. Met Charles, a doctor on leave from Somalia. He is originally from Uganda. Says situation is better in parts of Somalia.

Kenya Trip

2008-03-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

Preparations for my departure for Kenya on Friday are going ahead. I picked up my anti-malaria medication today-- 60 capsules of Doxycycline. Doxycylcline is an antibiotic and is recommended as a preventive for the chloroquine-resistant strains of malaria found in Kenya.

It is also used to treat Lyme Disease and a whole host of STDs.

Doxycycline is also of relevance to bioterrorism since the CDC (US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) recommends it as "the drug of choice" for anyone who may have been exposed to anthrax. Doxycycline has fewer side effects, costs less and is more available than Cipro.

I guess I'm well-prepared!

Geneology can be addictive.

2008-03-24T05:25:00.000-07:00

Saffron-Walden
Easter Monday

A few more flakes of snow are filling today. Yesterday it really did snow!

I slogged down the hill to meeting, and arrived early. During worship, I though about how much we are related--

No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.... -John Donne

Twenty generations back, each of us has over one million ancestors. Twenty generations is about 600 years. In 1400, the population of Europe was about 70 million. The probability that two currently living individuals of European ancestry, have a common ancestor is at least 8/69. We really are related.

Speaking of ancestry, I started looking at my genealogy this past Thursday night. I took out a 14 day trail membership in ancestry.com. I discovered that ancestor research can be really addictive. I slaved away in front of my computer until 3:30 am.

I traced one branch of my family back to 1510, and discovered that all of my ancestors had been in the US since before the revolution. I also discovered a very large community of fellow researchers. One of my ancestors, a William Hoskins, arrived in Virginia in 1624. There were a few more, including Germans from Alsace and Switzerland who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1600s. Many of my father's ancestors came from New England.

It's amazing to be able to see handwritten images of census data online. Also available are military service records, and, for more recent years, death records from Social Security, and marriage records from many local jurisdictions.

I've also discovered that there is lot of so-called "public record" data available . I found addresses for myself of virtually every place I've ever had mail delivered to, including my work address at Washington Mutual. That part is a bit disturbing to me.

Bailouts and more Israeli Violence in Bil'in

2008-03-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

It seems odd to me that The Federal Reserve is bailing out Bear-Stearns to make up for the illiquidity of their mortgage backed securities. If, instead, the same money was used to aid the delinquent mortgage payers, the bonds could become liquid again, and the mortgage payers could keep their homes. Strange, isn't it.

For more in this take a look at Paul Krugman's column in the New York Times. The B Word

For the latest attacks, including a brutal beating and kidnapping of a nonviolent American demonstrator in Bil'in take a look at

Gaza--- Q&A

2008-03-03T02:29:00.000-08:00

Some Questions and Answers About the Current Israeli Escalation in Gaza
Prepared by Dr. Steve Niva; Member of the Faculty, Middle East Studies, The Evergreen State College

1. There seems to be a massive upsurge in violence in Gaza these past few days; what is happening?

The violence is completely one-sided. On the one side, Israel is conducting an extraordinarily violent military operation into the Northern Gaza Strip that includes ground forces, bombings and missile-strikes in crowded residential neighborhoods. It has also fired upon ambulances and destroyed many civilian homes. On Saturday (March 1), Israeli operations killed over 60 Palestinians, some of them were reported to be Hamas fighters and at least half of them were civilians, including 10 children and three women. Since Wednesday (February 27) the Israeli assault has killed around 80 people and injured over 150. Israel claims this is only the first phase of the operation; the next phase will involve more ground troops.

On the other side, Palestinian rocket fire on Israel from Gaza killed one Israeli and injured scores of others and two Israeli soldiers have been killed in this operation.

2. Israel claims that its actions are defensive and necessary to end Palestinian rocket fire into Israel that kills Israeli civilians. Doesn't Israel have the right to defend itself?

Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza killed one Israeli citizen last week in addition to scores of longer range missiles fired on a major city (Ashkelon) and have killed over 15 Israelis and wounded hundreds more since 2001. Palestinian rocket attacks contravene international law and should stop immediately.

However, there are many ways a country can defend itself and Israel's current military operation is completely unjustified for two main reasons.

First, Israel's actions themselves are war-crimes. Attacks on residential areas (Gaza is one of the most crowded areas in the world) and the targeting of civilians, including homes and medical teams, represent war crimes according to the provisions of international humanitarian law. The use of disproportionate and lethal force against a civilian population even in response to the unlawful rocket attacks carried out by Palestinian armed groups is a blatant violation of the laws of war, enshrined in customary international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Second, if Israel's goal is to end rocket attacks from Gaza, the most logical and beneficial step it could take would be to respond positively to Hamas' repeated cease-fire proposals for a complete end to rocket fire on Israel, most recently, on February 23rd, when Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that Hamas will consider any initiative that will bring about a ceasefire. Hamas claims it has secured the agreement of all factions to halt rocket fire and promised to impose the cease-fire provided that Israel reciprocates. Israel's Prime Miniser Ehud Olmert immediately rejected the cease-fire offer, even though a growing number of Israeli politicians and security officials are calling for Israel to accept a cease-fire. Israel's current operations are clearly about much more than securing Israeli civilians lives. Israel could easily end the rocket fire by accepting a cease-fire.

3. What would a cease-fire include?

Hamas has proposed a cease-fire many times and has been clear that it would have to include a cessation of all hostilities: Hamas would cease and impose a halt to all rockets and mortar shells from Gaza provided Israel would end its "targeted liquidations", military incursions and its siege of Gaza. The negotiations should be conducted by Egypt, particularly since it would have to open the border between the Gaza Strip and Sinai to end the siege of Gaza and give it back its freedom of communication with the world by land, sea and air.

4. But how can one reach a cease-fire settlement with a violent organization that declares that it will never recognize Israel?

Israel's demand that it cannot negotiate a cease-fire because Hamas does not "recognize Israel's right to exist" is nothing more than a pretext for avoiding an end to violence on anything other than Israel's terms. Even though Hamas has been responsible for many reprehensible and violent attacks on Israel, it is the main power in Gaza and has a track record of living up to its agreements. The claim about recognition is faulty for the following reasons:

· First, the lack of recognition has never stopped states from negotiating with its adversaries; history is replete with negotiations between sworn enemies.

· Second, such recognition is traditionally reciprocal; in order for Israel to receive recognition it would have to simultaneously recognize the state of Palestine, which it refuses to do.

· Third, Israel has refused to declare its own borders and is currently in military occupation of another people and has planted massive settlement colonies on their land, both in violation of international law, so which state and which borders are supposed to be recognized?

· Fourth, and most importantly, in practical terms, if one state or group makes an agreement with another state, then it has recognized that state. So if Hamas were to agree to a cease-fire, it is meaningless whether or not it has formally recognized Israel because in fact, it has.

5. What then are the political reasons why the Israeli government rejects a cease-fire and chooses massive military invasions and violence in Gaza as its preferred policy?

The immediate reason is that the current Israeli government is under severe domestic pressure to take major actions against rocket attacks, and since it will not accept a cease-fire and knows it cannot reoccupy the Gaza strip without major casualties, it is choosing to unleash intense violence upon Palestinians-both fighters and civilians--in order to pressure Hamas to halt rocket attacks. This is a form of collective punishment; it has never worked in the past and contravenes international law.

The deeper reason Israel chooses violence over a cease-fire is that Israel wants to avoid negotiations with a united Palestinian government that holds firm to basic Palestinian rights to a full and sovereign Palestinian state in the lands occupied by Israel in 1967. It wants to impose an agreement upon a weakened and divided Palestinian people who could be pushed to accept a deal that allows for Palestinian rule in truncated territorial enclaves under complete Israeli control, with most of the Israeli settlements remaining on Palestinian land. Dividing Hamas-ruled Gaza from the West Bank and refusing to negotiate any deal with Hamas helps it do this.

6. But do all Israelis oppose a Cease-Fire?

No. According to a recent poll, a majority of the Israeli public (64%) support direct talks with Hamas to achieve a mutual ceasefire. Moreover, Knesset Member Yossi Beilin called for an agreed ceasefire with Hamas; Israel's public security minister, Avi Dichter, has criticized Israel's military escalation, saying, "Whoever talks about entering and occupying the Gaza Strip, these are populist ideas which I don't connect to, and in my opinion, no intelligent person does either."; and the former head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, Efraim Halevy, calls for Israel and the US to negotiate a ceasefire with Hamas.

7. What should American policy be regarding the situation in Gaza?

The U.S. Government should demand that all attacks in either direction between Gaza and Israel cease now, permanently. It should support a resolution to that effect in the UN Security Council. It should pressure Israel to accept a cease-fire

A cease-fire should be welcomed by all who truly want to see the violence stop, the siege of Gaza end, Israeli civilians secure and see a new basis for negotiations that will lead to full political rights for Palestinians according to international law and peace for Israel. Call for an immediate cease-fire now.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits Iraq

2008-03-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Iraq on Sunday. In contrast to President Bush, Ahmadinejad was warmly welcomed, and received red carpet treatment. For the full story, take a look at the Reuters link:

http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL02355657

Gaza and Nonviolence

2008-02-18T01:57:00.000-08:00

The recent breach of the border controls between Gaza and Egypt suggests that nonviolent direct action might be a way to undo the blockade, and perhaps even more. Perhaps a similar action directed at the Israel border on the east, and even in the West Bank might be effective. Given the current state of the Israeli Armed forces, we should expect a large loss of life. If the Gaza-Israel were breached, large numbers of Palestinians could volunteer to be human shields at Sederot. Likewise, a number of Israelis and internationals could protect leading Hamas officials. The net result could be a reduction in the level of violence.

The Palestinians really have nothing to lose at this point. Maybe the same despair and sense of utter hopelessness that drives people to become suicide bombers could drive drive them to become potential nonviolent martyrs.

On another note, according to a story on the BBC news, the Israelis "detained" 80 Palestinians in a recent sweep in Gaza. When Gazans "detain" an Israeli, it is referred to as a kidnapping. And this is the BBC!

Olympia Penninsula Trip

2008-02-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

These photos were taken on 5 and 6 February 2008. The previous 13 February posting is a rant about intractable and ossified bureaucracies. Please take a look. In the meantime, Happy Valentine Day to all!

Winter Sun over Kalaloch Beach

Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park

Roosevelt Elk, Hoh River area

Cemetery, Quinault, Washington

Mist Painting by Kathryn Reade

Government Bureaucracy

2008-02-13T08:58:00.000-08:00

For the past ten days, I've been trying to get the Medicare people at Social Security to give me a straight answer to a simple question on Medicare Part B Premiums. Unless you enroll during you initial enrollment period (an interval around age 65), you are charged a higher premium. This rule is intended to combat anti-selection-- a situation where a person waits until they are seriously ill to enroll. There is, however, an exception. Anyone covered by an employer group plan can defer enrollment in Part B without paying higher premiums so long as they enroll within 8 months of when the group coverage ends. My question to Social Security is "Does NHS coverage in Britain count as employer group coverage?" I expect that it doesn't, but ther is no intrinsic reason why it should not qualify.

Both of my attempts to get this question answered have resulted in answers that did not address the question. The whole experience is, of course, nowhere near as bad as the attempts that Angela and I have made to find out about the status her Green Card Application and numerous attempts to get travel permission in order to keep the Green Card App active.

I also do not think that Government Bureaucracies have to be incompetent. My experience with UK immigration is certainly a counter example. I had my initial provisional UK residence within 10 days of applying to their consulate in New York. I also believe that the US bureaucracies worked much better before the Republicans, under Reagan, took over in 1980 with an avowed program to "starve the beast". Prior to Reagan, working for the government could still be seen as a desirable career, and agencies such as Social Security and INS attracted competent, even if not the best and brightest, people. Almost 30 years of relentless propaganda and underfunding have had their effect on the staff of government agencies. Perhaps this could start to change with an Obama presidency. Who knows?

Return to England

2008-02-11T11:19:00.000-08:00

I'm leaving for England tonight on BA 52 from Seattle to Heathrow. I may have some interviews for actuarial positions late this week or early next week. I'm planning to drive up to York with Angela on Saturday the 23rd.

It's another gray day here in Olympia-- light drizzle and not too cold.

Democracy in Action-- the Washington Caucuses

2008-02-09T15:40:00.000-08:00

I just returned from the Democratic Party Caucus for Precinct #26. The caucus was held at the Garfield School, a few blocks up the hill from here. There were originally 115 voters who expressed a preference. Obama had 70% of the votes, largely due to a huge turnout of young people. Clinton and uncommitted came away with about 15% each of the votes. The finally tally of 127 voters split almost the same way. Obama came away with 5 delegates , Clinton with 1 delegate, and 1 uncommitted delegate. The next level is the County Convention where delegates will be selected by legislative district.

I did submit four Israel-Palestine resolutions, which will be passed on to the next level. The first of the four calls upon the US Government to call upon Israel to end its illegal siege of Gaza. The second calls for an end of US military aid to Israel. The third and fourth ones call for US engagement in pursuing a just and sustainable solution ( a two-state solution) to the conflict. The resolutions came from Cindy Corrie.

California and other miscellany

2008-01-27T14:50:00.001-08:00

I arrived in San Jose on time yesterday-- about 4:30. I rented a white gangster car (PT cruiser) fro Fox Car Rental, and was on the road over to the valley by about 5:15. The clouds in the deepening twilight danced with the declining sunlight in a brillant display of reds and various shades of gray as I headed down highway 101 toward Gilroy, the garlic capital of the world. Just past Gilroy, I turned west on Highwat 25 towards Hollister, a plae of constant , but minor earthquakes. Just short of Hollister, I turned east on Route 156. Entering a construction zone with 40 mph speed limits and CHP active signs, I slowed to the speed limit. A jerk behind me came up on my rear and turned his high beams on, frustrated that he could not pass over the double line.

Had a turkey burger at Casa Fruta, a landmark on the Pacheco Pass Road. Years ago the road was a steep winding three lane road (the middle lane was for passing in both directions). Casa Fruta was where you stopped to make sure your radiator was full. Today a well-graded expressway replaces the old road. I was over the pass, and at my brother Doug's house by a light after 8.

Had a good visit with Doug and Gretchen. Gretchen wants to go to India and Egypt, but Doug is not interested. They seem to have been almost everywhere else.

This morning I came on down to Fresno, and went to Meeting here. Lyle mentioned the irony of Palestinian bulldozers tearing down the wall separating Rafah from Egypt. I'm staying with Ingrid here in Fresno.

The central valley of California is unlike the rest of California-- flat and agricultural, more like Kansas. Most of the roads run along the section lines and are straight. There are occasional bends where the sections lines are offset. Historically, the inhabitants of the valley are much like Kansas farmers, too. Fundamentalist Christianity is a strong influence. More recently, large influxes of Mexicans and Hmongs have changed the character of the valley to some extent.

Ingrid mentioned an incident from four years ago. She was applying for a job and was told that she would have to take a typing test! Men applying for the same job were required to take a driving test. Later in the interview, she was told that the typing test was not necessary. Recently, Cal State at Fresno lost a couple of multi-million dollar sexual discrimination suits involving coaches in the women's athletic programs. It's amazing that such attitudes persist.

Off to California

2008-01-26T13:20:00.000-08:00

I'm at Sea-Tac waiting for a flight to San Jose. As you can see, the Olympics have snow on them. There was a forecast of snow today, so I made my way to the airport early.

I'm renting a car in San Jose and driving to Merced to see my brother Douglas. Have lots of family business to deal with!

Pagliacci

2008-01-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

We went to Seattle yesterday to see Pagliacci. The opera was wonderful, especially the dancing in the dream interlude. Reminded me of Cirque du Soliel, a three dimensional ballet.

Lori and Mark have an old cider press, which we may take off their hands.

Photos above and below are Lori, David, Kathryn, and the opera program.

Stone Circle at Castlerigg

2007-11-23T02:31:00.000-08:00

20 November 2007

Yesterday, Nina and I visited the Stone Circle at Castlerigg. The day was cloudy, , blustery, and windy. We parked along side the road next to a stone wall, and headed up the narrow track towards the circle. Rock walls lined out route, and sheep grazed peacefully in the green fields. Dark clouds covered the mountains to the north.

After about ¾ of a mile we came to a crossing in the wall. We climbed over the wall, and spread out ahead of us to the east was the Stone Circle of Castlerigg.

Looking South

To the winds of the South...

To the winds of the West...

To the winds of the North...

To the winds of the East...

Immediately after the sacred space was opened, the sheep in the field to the south of the circle began to move silently in a counterclockwise direction around the circle until we were completely surrounded. I felt an sense of awe and wonder. A bit later we closed the circle and the sheep dispersed to the south.

People Photos

2007-10-31T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here is link to some photos that I've taken over the last couple of years.

People

Spent the day reflecting, writing in my journal, and playing the stock market. I think I'm finally beginning to get a feel for options. In-the-money calls do seem to follow the stock price to some extent. Usually they are far more lightly traded. This delays responses to changes in the stock price. There is also usually a much wider gap between the bid and ask prices. Limit orders are almost a necessity.

Well, enough of my ruminations of the stock market. Need to get to bed and be more motivated tomorrow.

Spiders

2007-10-26T05:48:00.000-07:00

Every year in the fall, the spiders attempt to envelop the Grandview House with a web. Soon the weather will turn colder, and the rain and the wind will take the webs away. In the spring the spiders will return. Photo was taken on 10/09/2007.

The Gospel of Couch-Surfing

2007-10-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

I spent last night on Air India Flight 112 from New York-- JFK to London-- Heathrow. Food was amazingly good for airline food, and the passengers were quite diverse. There were Sikhs, very orthodox Jews (in appropriate garb), as well as more conventional Indians and Americans. I had the Lamb curry for dinner and it was quite good.

Margaret, a young woman who had just finished law school at Yale, was seated one seat over from me. She has decided that she does not want to be a lawyer, and is traveling. When she mentioned that she was hoping to work, I told her that might be difficult in England. After a while it occurred to me that she was a perfect candidate fo Couch-Surfing. When I explained Surfing to her, she took to it very quickly. I expect that I'll hear from her. I also offered to show her around Cambridge and Saffron-Walden.

New Entry!

2007-10-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

21 October 2007

Amtrak en route to New York

Overwhelming demand from friends (at least a couple of them) suggests that it's time to start regular blog entries again. I'm on the train to New York to visit my daughter and her family. On Monday night, I'm returning to England to see my therapist and my oncologist. I'm also going to see friends in Saffron-Walden, Cambridge, and London, look for a maths teaching job, hopefully to start in January, and go to some Cambridge Camera Club meetings.

Politics here is the states is still sound byte oriented with no really serious attention to the issues of life and death that we are in no small way responsible for. The isolated suicide bomber driven by despair, and without hope, is called “terrorist” while the cold rational calculated killing and maiming of civilians by military forces paid for by our tax dollars is an acceptable part of the “war on terror”. In the overall calculus of death the death or maiming of an Arab child is called collateral damage, while the death of military personnel by those resisting brutal occupation is called “terrorism”. I mourn the death of both children and soldiers. In the meantime, Brittany, OJ, and Lindsay keep us distracted. We are, indeed, an underdeveloped democracy.

Enough of my political rant! It's sunny and warm day today, the train is crowded, and I'm feeling a little sleepy.

Here's a link to some of my photos on my photo.net portfolio site: Photo.net

My Name is Rachel Corrie

2007-04-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

Just before I was leaving for meeting yesterday, Craig Corrie called me to offer me a ticket to the Seattle Repertory Theater production of My Name is Rachel Corrie at Evergreen.

Meeting was silent. Afterwards, during introductions and news, mention was made of the play. I have squirrel on my deck in front-- a cute little gray critter. I went to a talk after meeting on global warming in the arctic. Jana Dean, a teacher in Olympia, talked about her experiences in NE Canada last spring. She was a part of a research team investigating ways of measuring snow cover. Several graphs indicated the extent of the effects of warming on the polar ice. the magnitude of Arctic warming is greater than the magnitude of overall global warming.

I went to the play later in the afternoon. Chris, the guy who invited Rachel to Gaza, was there, as were Cindy and Craig. It was a very emotional occasion.

I'm flying to Philadelphia tonight. I've been feeling a need to get away from here, and I got a really cheap ticket on NW. Planning to come back on Saturday. I'm hoping to spend some time with Liz, who is very busy, and to see Heather, John and Lindell.

Procession of the Species

2007-04-29T01:13:00.000-07:00

28 April 2007

Today I went to Ellen Saliswak's 50th birthday celebration at the Olympia Friends Meeting House. Saw Ward and Alice Miles. Also I met Ellen's parents and brother, who were visiting from the east. Afterwards we all went to the Procession of the Species. The Procession and the Art Walk are annual events in Olympia. Click on the link to see photos of the Procession.

Procession of the Species

Take a look at this story in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/29/us/29border.html?hp

An Arab-American citizen, Abe Dabdoub, was hassled at the border on each of his last 14 trips to Canada to visit family. He was fingerprinted 14 times, searched 9 times, handcuffed 4 times and isolated in a separate detention room 13 times. Mr. Dabdoub is of Palestinian descent and was born in Saudi Arabia. His family moved to Canada when he was 5.

My problem with immigration was nothing compared to Mr. Dabdoub's. (see entry for 6 December, 2006). In December, I returned to the US from England, Greece, and Palestine. I indicated that I had been to Palestine on the Customs Declaration Form. The immigration asked me what I was doing there. When I replied "Why do your want to know?" he sent me to the line to have my baggage searched. The customs guy was a bit more reasonable. He asked me if he would find anything in my baggage that shouldn't be there. When I said no, he let me through without searching my bags.

Had I written Israel on the Customs Form, I probably would have had no trouble at all!

A lesson learned.....

Blue in Olympia

2007-04-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

I'm not doing too well. I'm not sleeping too well, waking up at 3 am, and feeling that life has little to offer. I'm at Evergreen. Took the bus out here. Fellow passengers were mostly greeners-- Young men with scraggly beards, a brown-haired woman with a hat and juggling pins, and a blue-eyed woman with freckles behind me. All of them so young!

I'm feeling that I don't want to go back to England. I just want to go home, and stay. I don't want to see anyone. Numbness and sadness are part of my being. The desolate dull days and nights alone are all I can see.

I must fight these feelings, but I'm running low on energy.

To Angela

2007-04-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

Angela is wonderful, quirky, sometimes hard to get along with, beautiful and unique. I met Angela in Egypt in the winter of 2000, and shared a remarkable and sometimes difficult six years with her. Click on the link below the photo to see the whole collection.

From Angela

Bluegrass at the Santa Fe Basque Restaurant

2007-02-28T20:53:00.000-08:00

Every Wednesday evening from about 5:30 to 8:30 there is Blugrass Jam at the Santa Fe. Usually, there are 12 to 15 participants.

Kenny Hall from Santa Fe Blue...

Busy day otherwise. Had to cobble together some money to send to Robert in Khatmandu, Nepal. Also sent his credit cards to him.

Last week on Friday we had guests, My cousin (sort of) Delores and her granddaughter McKenzie Gray.

Palestine Trip

2007-02-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

I was in Palestine from October 25 to November 20. I am posting my edited journal entries and my recollections of my time there.

26 October 2006
Arrival in Jerusalem

I arrived in Israel yesterday morning. I passed through immigration without much trouble. I stuck to my story that I intended to visit Jerusalem and perhaps get up to Galilee. I did ask them not to stamp my passport. I was asked "Why not?" to which I responded (honestly) that I might want to visit Syria at some time in the future. I was admitted to Israel, but without a visa, something that would cause me anxiety in the future.

Outside the entrance to the airport, there were large numbers of people, service touts, and vans going to various places. I mad it known that I wanted to go to the Damascus Gate in the Old City, and eventually found myself in the back of a van. Aside from myself, there was a Norwegian couple, and many Jews. We headed across the narrow coastal plain, and into the hills toward Jerusalem. The van stopped at several settlements around Jerusalem to discharge passengers. The settlements were well fortified with razor wire and guard posts-- my first introduction to the craziness that is Palestine.

The Norwegian couple and I got off at the Damascus Gate. The guy recognized my camera bag, and asked if I was a photographer. I replied affirmatively, and noticed that he had a similar bag.

I headed into the Old City through the Damascus Gate. It was now about 6:30 in the morning. I was trying to find the the Citadel Hostel, and, after getting lost several times, my baggage and I finally arrived at the door. By then it was after 9. I rang the bell and Chris the manager finally answered. I was offered a temporary bed in the dorm downstairs, and used it for cat naps all day. I finally fell asleep, completely exhausted about 10 pm.

The old city is overwhelming, but after walking around a bit I'm starting to think that too much religion is not such a good thing. Everyone seems to think that they have a special relationship to the almighty, and that anyone who is different can't possibly have any relationship with the "true" God, whoever he/she might be.

11:05 am
I'm having a late breakfast a Moses Art Restaurant near the Jaffa Gate. Engaged in some small talk with Moses. He used to live in LA, and considers Jean-Claude Van-Damme a close personal friend.

Still consumed with relationships. I really do need to find my authentic self, independent of the women in my life.

The Citadel Hostel is a bit claustrophobic-- it's kind of like being in a series of caves. Feti and Suleiman are very helpful, and there is wireless internet accessible from the first and second levels. The photo to the right is Suleiman.

Other guests are Maya, an Israeli woman from Eilat who is looking for job, a couple from Salem, Oregon, and several visiting students (Americans) from the American University in Cairo.

The view from the roof is wonderful-- a panorama of the Old City. You can see Haram-al Sharif (the Dome of the Rock), and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Also other churches and roof tops spread out before you. It's really magic, especially at dusk, with the call to prayer.

I had a late lunch/early dinner at the Armenian Tavern. I'm finding myself in a weird place-- I feel totally alone. It's scary and I feel very sad. The Armenian Tavern is a basement -level restaurant near the Jaffa gate and the actual Citadel, not just the hostel. I had a couple of half-liters of beer,and something called Khaghogki Derev-- grape-leaf wrapped spicy meat served in a milk-based soup. Finished off dinner with an Armenian coffee-- the same as Greek/Turkish coffee. The waiter called it Middle-Eastern coffee and mention the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Turks. Why can't people just get along?

A bunch of us (Steve, Erika, Ron, David, and others) went out to a tavern near the New Gate for some Taybeh beer, the only beer brewed on the West Bank. The beer at 14 Shekels per half liter was a bit expensive (later I was to find it in Ramallah for 5 Shekels). Steve is a mad Welshman married to a Palestinian in living near Bethlehem. This was to be his last visit to Jerusalem for some time. His visa was about to expire, and after it did he would not be allowed to return to his family in Bethlehem. Ron is an Israeli-American stying at the Citadel. David is from Singapore, and is doing an internship with a UN agency. Steve's email address uses the term Gaia, and he is really into the Gaia hypothesis-- which proposes that the that the living matter of planet Earth functions like a single organism. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_hypothesis) for more details. The discussion moved on to the earth, animism, and so on. Appropriate for this, the center of monotheism!

27 October, 2006
Bil'in-- My Introduction to the West Bank

Ron and I went out for breakfast-- falafel on pita from a street vendor-- in East Jerusalem just outside the Damascus Gate. Then we headed back across the Old City to the Jaffa Gate. We were on our way to meet up with Rabbi Arek Ascherman, the Executive Director for Rabbis for Human Rights. Below the Jaffa Gate we caught a bus to the Central Bus Station in West Jerusalem, and then walked to a nearby petrol station, where we were to be picked up by Arek.

He arrived in his mud splattered car and we were off to Bil'in for the weekly demonstration against the "Separation Barrier", otherwise known as the Apartheid Wall. When finished the Wall wil cut the village of Bil'in off from about 60% of its land. Eventually this land will be taken to expand the illegal settlements on the Israeli side of the Wall. The residents of the the village joined by Israeli activists and international vistors have been conducted non-violent weekly demonstrations against the Wall for almost two years.

We passed through several checkpoints on the well-maintained multi-lane settler road (A network of freeway like settler roads connects Jerusalem with most of the settlements on the West Bank. These roads are for use by Israelis only). Eventually we turned off onto a rough side road, only to be blocked by an army patrol. After a cursory look at our passports and IDs, they told us we could not proceed. So we turned around and went to Bil'in by a more circuitous route.

We parked in the village, and headed along the road down the hill from the village to the Apartheid Wall and the site of the demonstration. We met a number of demonstrators coming the other way, who were suffering from the effects of tear gas. Surprisingly, holding an onion near your mouth and nose acts as an antidote. As we approached a stopped IDF Jeep, we heard the loud bangs of tear gas canisters and sound grenades.

The jeep started to move up the hill toward the center of Bil'in. I headed off to the left of the road climbing up over a couple of terraces.

The jeep stopped as a young woman stood in front of it. Four soldiers pushed her to the side of the road, and the jeep continued onward.

I managed to get back on the road and retreated toward the village along with many other of the demonstrators. Rocks were placed along the road to slow the advance of the IDF jeep.

On our left flank, I spotted five soldiers moving up the hill into the village. When they reached the top of the hill they fired tear gas and rubber coated bullets across the path of the retreating demonstrators. I also saw tear gas coming from one of the houses in the village.

I finally made my way to the center of the village, where I met several of the "internationals", including the couple from Norway that I met the morning of my arrival, two JVP activists (one from Boston), Paul from AFSC, and Ann, who helped me get back to Jerusalem. Ann is a Southern Baptist minister living in Ramallah.

The Israeli Army used excessive force in repelling a nonviolent demonstration. Firing tear gas into the village after the demonstration was totally unnecessary, and can only be viewed as collective punishment.

Dennis Fox, who was with the JVP group, has another account of the October 27 Bil'in demonstration:
http://blog.dennisfox.net/index.php/archives/2006/10/28/yesterday-in-bilin/

After getting some water from the local convenience store, and mingling a bit with the crowd, Ann and I caught a Service Taxi to Ramallah, where Ann directed me to the Jerusalem bus station.

In contrast to the settler highways, the roads the Palestinian buses use are pot-holed and slow. Approaching the Qalandria checkpoint, I saw the art work on the Apartheid Wall, a splash of color on the 30 foot high gray cement wall. All of the passengers disembarked from the bus to enter Israel through the Qalandria "Terminal". This time I was ushered through without even taking my passport out of my pocket. My fellow travelers and I got back on the bus and continued on pot-holed and rutted streets to the bus station opposite the Damascus Gate.

30 October 2006-- Some Reflections and a Visit to Ramallah

I've spent the past two days mostly in the Old City, with a several forays into West Jerusalem-- once to get money from a cash machine on Shabat (the Jewish Sabbath), and the other times to visit night spots. Cash machines in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City are inoperative on Saturday, so one has to go elsewhere to get shekels.

I'm going to Ramallah today to meet with Marwan Awartani, a former colleague of a friend of mine at the University of Delaware. Marwan was on the mathematics faculty at Birzeit University, but now is Secretary General of the Universal Education Foundation (http://www.uef-eba.org), which is headquartered in Ramallah.

I've met some really wonderful prople here in the Old City. Ron is an Israeli-American, who arranged for me to go to Bil'in. David is from Singapore, but now living in Canada. He is working for the UN as an intern, and, with easy access to the West Bank, manages to show visitors what is really happening. Susannah is a Spanish journalist.

Susannah

January 3-- Fresno

2007-01-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

I set off about 9:30 this morning in brilliant sunshine with clear skies. I stopped only once, at Lebec, near the Tejon Summit, for gas and lunch. As I descended to the valley the clear air was replaced by hazy sunshine. I had not even reached Bakersfield before the mountains surrounding the valley had disappeared into the haze

I began thinking about the names of streets and highways. Most of the way across the country, I-10 was called the Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway. As I neared Palm Springs, the name changed to the Sonny Bono Freeway, after the former mayor and congressman from Palm Springs. I doubt if there will ever be a Cher Freeway. Later as I entered the valley, the name of the freeway became the Pearl Harbor Survivors Freeway. In Tulare there is a Prosperity Road exit. Made me wonder if there might be an Easy Street somewhere.

I rolled into Fresno about 3, and navigated my way to my mum's, only to find out that her car had been stolen this morning from the bowling alley parking lot. I unpacked the bike, put my oily motorcycle pants into soak, and sorted my dirty clothes. Tomorrow we'll talk to the insurance company about a rental, and I'll talk with the police.

It's really good to be off the road for a few days!

January 2-- Banning, California

2007-01-02T22:12:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to say that I arrived in Banning right before 5 this afternoon. I'm tired, but fed, and safely ensconced at the Travel Lodge. Only 299 miles to my mother's place (according to Google).

New York Visit-- December 4 - 7

2007-01-02T22:08:00.000-08:00

I visited my granddaughter, Lindell Meta Murray, and her parents Heather and John Murray in early December. Lindell was born on 15 August 2006. These photos were taken on December 5.

January 1-- Blues in El Paso

2007-01-01T05:48:00.000-08:00

I'm getting tired of being a "rolling stone". Think I'd like to stop a bit and gather some moss, but that's not possible now. Must push on today. Think I'll go see about breakfast.

Later...
Checked the oil-- it was fine-- and set off a bit after 10 am. Stopped at the New Mexico Welcome Center, which advertised travel information. They were closed and there was no information. I filled up the tank on the west side of Las Cruces.

I had lunch in a very crowded Denney's in Deming. Talked to some of the local retired folks there. A Hispanic man recalled the days (during World War II) when the main road was closed down for troop movements. I-10 through that portion of New Mexico is now called the Pearl Harbor Highway. I talked with another man about my journey. He has a Honda 1100 Shadow, and does at least one trip a year. He had BMW 1100 RT, but found that the bike was too high for him-- his feet barely reached the ground. He got rid of it after dropping it and causing $3,000 worth of damage.

After lunch I hooped back on the bike and made my way to Lordsburg, where, again, I filled the tank. Around Lordsburg I came into some very chilly winds. Finally after crossing into Arizona, the winds subsided, and it became a bit sunnier and warmer.

I pulled into Tucson a bit before 5 and gave Bob and Nancy Eschrich a call. Bob mentioned the fact that the sale of WM Life by WAMU had affected many people in large ways. It led to my going to Egypt, and all that happened after that.

I booked a room at the Travel Lodge (from where this posting will take place), had dinner, and made several phone calls.

December 31-- El Paso, Texas

2006-12-31T18:30:00.000-08:00

It's been a long day-- 478 miles. It's New Year's Eve and I'm reflecting at the Ramada on the east side of El Paso.

The trip across Texas, especially West Texas, has dredged up a lot of memories of times with Angela. I got off of I-10 in Van Horn, half thinking I might stay there tonight. I rode along the main drag, and remembered how we came into Van Horn from the west after dark, and we're a bit incapable of figuring out where to stay. We ended up at the Ramada Limited, which as I recall, had a somewhat unsatisfactory internet connection. They did, however, have a hot breakfast the next morning. We had come from San Antonio, where we had lunch with a friend of Angela's from Juarez. From there, we went on to Big Bend, taking a dirt road to a hot spring on the Rio Grande upriver from Presedio, Texas. It was a time of exploration and adventure.

On an earlier journey in January, 2001, we stayed in El Paso, where we bought some shoes to replace the shoes that were stolen in Eugene. We also stopped in Fort Stockton and shared the indoor pool with a South Asian family.

After I arrived here, I needed food, so I went to a sports bar next door called Hiney's. It was all decked out for New Year's with balloons and other decorations. A football gme was in progress (the San Francisco 49ers vs the Denver Broncos) was in progress. The bar was crowded and noisy, mostly with 49er fans. I began to realize that I really don't feel like an American any more. Here were all of these people-- the coaches, the TV commentators, the crowd in the stadium, and the people in Hiney's-- all taking the game so seriously. I feel so completely disconnected from it all.

The servers were all female, and were wearing very tight and very short red shorts with a Hiney's logo on the back. My server was very sweet, but a bit inept. She did not understand what "rare" meant when applied to steaks. I realized that her first language was probably Spanish. Later I asked her how long she had been working there. "One week" was the reply. I asked her how she liked it. It was ok except for having to work on NY Eve. She also said that life was really boring in El Paso. and added she had been to St. Louis once.

I had a mid-morning breakfast of ham and eggs at a non-chain restaurant in Sonora, Texas. Overheard conversation on Sadam's execution-- consensus was that it was not a very good idea to execute him. I was really a bit surprised.

As I was leaving, I noticed a group of men all attired in Halliburton shirts. I took a few photos of their trucks outside. Sonora is part of the mid-Texas oil and gas fields, and Halliburton is, among a lot of other things, an oil well supply company.

Later in the day I broke my camera while fumbling to get it out to take a picture of a bicyclist on I-10. The cyclist helped me pick up the bike, and we had a bit of weird conversation-- drink, 12-step progams, and where to stay in Deming, NM. He wouldn't give me his name.

I am feeling quite melancholy this evening. I've always felt depressed at New Year's and being alone in El Paso makes it worse. I did call Elizabeth right after east coast New Year's and tried to get into the spirit of the celebration at Georgies. Had my own bottle of Champagne. I do need connections.

December 30-- Kerrville, Texas

2006-12-30T20:13:00.000-08:00

I just returned from dinner and drinks at the Branding Iron in Kerrville. I had a grilled ground sirloin (hamburger) with a peppercorn sauce. It was quite tasty. The baked potato came in a pastry shell, something I've not seen before. I also has tow glasses of Pinot Noir with dinner. Afterwards, I discovered the bar in the Branding Iron (it's part of a large hotel). There I met Todd, the bartender, and Russ, one of the patrons. I told them about my motorcycle adventure. Russ has never been to the west coast, but wants to go. Todd attended UT and partied more than studied. He seems to have settled down a bit, and is planning to go to Austin for the New Year. I had two glasses of a Kenwood Cab (quite good), and a glass of water, before returning to my digs here at the Econo Lodge.

The bar was quite interesting, but probably disturbing for an animal rights activist. Mounted on the dark-paneled walls were numerous hunting trophies, including a cougar, several deer and antelope, and what appeared to be a water buffalo of some kind. Also present were the lone star flag of Texas, and a banner with the words “Liberty or Death”. Really great stuff!

I left Houston this morning about 11:30, after doing my laundry, and taking care of some bank business. I made my way to I-10 and headed west. I came to sign that said no gas for 50 miles, and being pretty close to the reserve tank, decided to back-track about 10 miles where I filled up-- both gasoline and lunch. Lunch was a buffet that included really delicious pulled pork. Afterwards, I set out again, only to discover that there were all kinds of gas stations along the route-- almost two at every exit.

After lunch I left the last of the rain behind me, and as I approached San Antonio, the sun finally came out in all of its glory. The main gas tank ran out, so I switched to the reserve. (I've learned to do this on the fly.) I filled up right before turning onto I-410 North (the beltway around San Antonio). Back on I-10, I headed NW out of San Antonio, and then turn a bit more west to Kerrville.

It's much colder here, but there is no rain. I expect a good day tomorrow.

December 29-- Nasty Weather to Houston

2006-12-30T17:33:00.001-08:00

After the usual Continental Breakfast, I was on the road by 7 am. The weather forecast for Louisiana, and East Texas was for severe thunderstorms beginning in the afternoon. I decided to try to make it to Houston before the really bad weather started. After kooking at my coupon book, I chose the Sun Suites in the Westchase part of Houston as my objective.

I ran into intermittent rain as I made my way west through Lake Charles. Parts of the I-10 road surface were pretty rough. Coming into Texas, there was a lot of road construction with irregular surfaces, and intermittent rain. I refueled near Vidor, and continued on through Beaumont. As i approached downtown Houston, I saw areas of heavy rain ahead. The traffic slowed to a crawl. Approaching the I-410 interchange, it was stop-and-go. I peeled off and took I-410 south, only to realize that it was a mistake. I got off I-410, and reversed my direction. After another stop-and-go session, I was back in I-10 West. I turned off onto the Sam Houston Tollway South, and got off at the first exit (75 cents). After fumbling for the change (more difficult on a motorcycle than a car), the toll taker told me that I could take the frontage roads without paying the toll. After exiting onto the frontage road, I found the Sun Suites, and checked in. It was 12:50 pm.

I did go out to the Bank of America branch nearby, and then return to the Suites. By then the wind had really increased. I was very happy to be inside and out of the weather.

I went to dinner at Doba, a new Japanese Restaurant nearby. It was very good, with an excellent salad bar.

December 28-- Tuscaloosa to Lafayette, Louisiana

2006-12-30T17:15:00.000-08:00

I got up early for the free continental breakfast-- this one included bagels, sausage biscuits, and the usual sweet pastries, juice, coffee and cereals. I was on the road before 8am. After about 100 miles I crossed in to Mississippi, passing through Meridian, Laurel, and Hattiesburg.

Near Hattiesburg, off I-59, were thousands of unused trailers, apparently intended for Katrina refuges. I reckon some of Bush's friends made a fair amount of money from the contracts for the trailers. Also noticeable in the Hattiesburg area were many downed trees from Katrina.

After I crossed into Louisiana, I stopped at the Welcome Station to get a map. There I decided to bypass New Orleans, and go directly to Baton Rouge on I-12. Picked up I-10 in Baton Rouge and went on to Lafeyette for the night. Weather looks quite threatening for the next couple of days-- severe thunderstorms and so forth.

Mileage: 428 for the day
Cumulative: 1,287

December 27-- On to Alabama

2006-12-28T05:23:00.000-08:00

After breakfast with Joyce, I mounted my frost covered steed and set off under a cloudy sky. As I continued south the sun became more prevalent, and it warmed up a bit. Stopped for lunch near Knoxville, and then headed on to Chattanooga and Birmingham. Past Birmingham the terrain gets flatter I spotted a Bay Suites Motel, with internet, for a good price shortly after Birmingham and pulled in for the night.

So far I've seen two churches with enormous heavy-duty crosses. Someone must be doing ok supplying them.

Mileage: 405 for the day (finally some real progress).
Cummulative: 859

December 26-- Boxing Day

2006-12-27T18:03:00.000-08:00

After a continental breakfast of not-too-tasty processed pastries, orange juice and coffee, I left the Econo Lodge at around 9:30 am. Soon the rain began again. I pulled off the interstate a bit north of Abington, Virginia, and made my way carefully to the truck-stop restaurant up the hill to the left of the highway, where I had the buffet for lunch. The main dishes were the usual southern stuff-- fried chicken, ham slices, and some kind of breaded stuff wrapped in a tortilla-like thing. I loaded up on the veggies and had some coffee. Spent a fair amount of time there in order to warm up. A very hairy somewhat overweight gentleman behind me was replaced by a couple of deputies (one also overweight) while I was there. While there, I called David, and got directions to his mother's place in Blountville, Tennessee.

After lunch I set off again, taking great care as I descended the hill to the road. It was very oily and slick, a condition that I've come to associate with truck stops and rain. I made it back onto the interstate without mishap and continued south to Exit 63 (Route 126) in Tennessee, where I pulled into a McDonald's for coffee and a salad. I borrowed the phone book, and made some calls to motorcycle shops to find a replacement for my broken left mirror. I also made final arrangements to stay at David's mother's place.

I found a motorcycle shop (Jim's Motorcycles) in Johnson City which was both open and had a left mirror for a 1982 Honda Silverwing. I found out that many cycle shops shut down between Christmas and New Year's. I head off to Johnson City, bought the mirror and than headed back to Joyce's (David's mother).

Joyce is 84 and had just returned from spending Christmas with her son Robert and his wife Lisa in Knoxville. Joyce is a lot like her son David. They both have a propensity to collect a lot of stuff. She took me out to dinner at Cracker Barrel, and I showed her some of my photos.

Mileage (not counting the trip to Johnson City for the mirror) : 173
Cummulative: 454

December 25-- Rain and Slick Roads

2006-12-25T12:33:00.000-08:00

After breakfast, I packed up the motorbike, and merged back onto I-81 under cloudy skies. A short while later it began to rain, first lightly, but then with more insistence. I finally pulled off at a rest stop to check my oil. I put the bike on the stand, and opened the dipstick. About half a cup of oil spilled out, before I realized the bike had to be upright. I pushed it upright and checked the oil level. It was a bit down, so I decided to stop and get a quart of oil.

I pulled into a Hess station, where I bought the oil, and had a sausage, egg, and cheese bagel (again microwaved, which made the bagel rather soggy). After adding bit of oil, I chatted with an older man named Maury in a beater car. He told me about a place to visit in Southern Virginia. To get there, you leave I-81 at the Glades Springs exit and head toward Damascus. It's called the Swiss Hotel, and has an excellent restaurant, and a B&B. He wished me a safe journey and I was off.

As I turned onto the entry ramp of the freeway, the bike slid out from under me, this time onto its right side. Another bent mirror, and broken turn signal lens. My motorcycle gear did what it was supposed to do, so I suffered no real damage. Again a Samaritan showed up and helped me upright the bike. I got it started, and headed down the slippery ramp onto the freeway.

The rain got a bit more intense and cold. After getting soaked for a while, I decided to stop again. It was about noon and I was just shy of Roanoke. Checked into another Econo Lodge-- this time for $47.47, and have spent my day catching up on my blog and other writing. It's still raining, but I'm warm and cozy, and my clothes are getting dry. The rain is supposed to subside for a bit tomorrow morning. I need to get the mirrors fixed. The turn signals still work, so I can get by for a while without fixing them.

My only problem here is that there is a dearth of restaurants that are open on Christmas Day. I bought a beer and snacks for lunch at one of gas station convenience stores across the street. There is a McDonalds down the road near the freeway. I'll check that out for Christmas Dinner.

Mileage: 103 for the day.
283 cummulative.

December 24-- Baltimore to Harrisonburg, Virginia

2006-12-25T12:08:00.000-08:00

I finally left Baltimore around 12:30 in the afternoon. The weather was sunny with a little chill in the air. After a somewaht wobbly start (my first time with a load), I merged onto the beltway (I-695) heading west. There was a fair amount of traffic, but it as moving well. I rolled off the beltway onto I-70 heading west to Fredrick. After Fredrick I turned south on Route 340 to Harper's Ferry and Charlestown, West Virginia, where I had my first mishap.

A light changed suddenly and I made a routine quick stop. After I had stopped, the bike became unbalanced and fell over on its left side, cracking the plexiglass windscreen, breaking the left mirror, and cracking the lens to the right front turn signal. Fortunately, a good Samaritan got out of his car and helped me pick up the bike. I got it started again and moved on.

Stooped at Sheetz on Route 340, where I picked up some duct tape to mend the windscreen, and had a bite to eat-- a microwaved chicken fajita (not too good), some garlic french fries, and black coffee. Turned right off of Route 340, and picked up I-81 south at about milepost 303. Three hundred miles to Tennessee!

I reached Harrrisonburg at about 4:50 in the afternoon as it was getting dark, and decided to stop for the night. I got a room at the Econo Lodge for $72.15. The Lodge had wireless internet, and served breakfast in the morning (cornflakes or cheerios, and pastries with orange juice and coffee). Had dinner (baked potato with chili) at Wendy's. Th sign over Wendy's said "Jesus is the reason for the season". This really is the heart of "bible country".

Mileage: 180 for the day.
180 cummulative.

Wecome to the USA and New York

2006-12-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

Two incidents shortly after my return to the USA indicate that civility is on the decline.

I arrived at Newark-Liberty Airport this past Saturday. Upon noticing that I had visited Palestine, the immigration official asked me what I had been doing there. I asked him why he wanted to know. He replied, "It's my job to know." I told him that I'd given a mathematics lecture at Bir Zeit University. He then wanted to know what I did for living. I told him that I was and actuary and a professor. For my impudence, I was earmarked for a search by customs. I was still a bit irritable from the interrogation I went through at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv a little over a week ago.

When I arrived on the train in Wilmington, I was told by a policewoman that I couldn't wait in station (where it was warm) for a bus. I told her that I had just arrived on the train. She demanded that I show her my ticket stub. After that, I was allowed to stay. Later I went over and told the police that people in UK train stations were treated with more respect. The excuse offered was that they had a problem with the homeless from a mission a block away. Of course, the real problem is a lack of any kind of safety net for the poor in the USA.

I'm currently in NY staying at the Greenpoint YMCA, and visiting my daughter and her family. My granddaughter, Lindell , has certainly grown a lot since I saw her in October. The visit with Heather and John has gone very well.