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Joan Ruggles (Young)

I'm sorry Joanie, 237 Palestinians died to rescue 4 Israelis. To me that seems tragic!

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jack Mallory

I understand, Joanie. I just wanted you to know that there is no silence in the media about the blame that Hamas bears in the initiation of this war. Some of the popular response may be one-sided, but that is at least partially due to the disparity in casualties and also to the fact that many of us expected far better behavior from the Israeli government than from a terrorist organization. Disappointment in that behavior may produce the especially vociferous condemnation of Israel's behavior. Not perhaps fair, but trying to justify the thousands of innocent Gazan civilian casualties by pointing at the innocent Israeli victims of Hamas terrorism, as some do, is a failing moral argument. 

John Smeby

Joanie, There are folks in our class that do not understand barbaric, terrorist behavior. Comments from Joan and my idiotic classmate (that proudly sits on my right shoulder), do not understand that Hamas is Palestine and Palestine is Hamas. They help build hundreds of miles of tunnels, have been "tasked" with continuing the enslavement of Israeli hostages. Ask the four rescued Israelis who guarded them and take direct orders from Hamas terrorists. Until Palestinians can rid Gaza of Hamas, and their religious ideology (total anhillation of Israel), I cheer that Israel will NOT pay any attention to Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, AOC or any hundreds of paid demonstrators that are Pro Palestine as they do not know and therefore believe that Hamas is a barbaric terrorist organization and, until Palestinians can reclaim their own government and completely support Israel in its First (and only goal at this time), in the COMPLETE distruction of Hamas and anyone that supports them. 

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jack Mallory

What Joanie said. The world is full of hate. All we can do as individuals is recognize our shared humanity and choose to treat each other decently. Most of the Js and others on the forum are making that choice. Join us, John. 

Jack Mallory

I would like to point out that the capuchin monkey John refers to as his "idiotic classmate" has a long-standing reputation among primatologists as the most intelligent New World monkey. Some research shows capuchins as faster at learning new skills than humans (https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/24089/20191017/capuchin-rhesus-monkeys-show-better-cognitive-flexibility-humans.htm). 

Ever raced a capuchin, John?

*********

I can ruffle feathers in and out of the forum!

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Hi Jack, When the picture of the monkey was posted II asked Gerson, my husband, about the capuchin monkey as he is an expert in primate behavior. ... Anyway, he said the same thing you did about how intelligent they are.. I like that bird picture you put on the forum. .Love, Joanie

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

What a contrast with the trial and conviction of Hunter Biden versus the trial and conviction of Trump. President Biden said he would respect the verdict and he would not pardon Hunter Biden. Trump previously pardoned lots of felons who stormed the capitol during the attempted January 6th insurrection....During Trump's trial, he attacked the judge and the judge's daughter and others.. Post his verdict he screamed that the system is rigged.  Well, most of us know that this is the difference between the two: one is President Biden who respects the rule of law even to the point of letting the rule of law prevail in the case of his son Hunter, that he loves so much. Then we have Trump who threatens people, like the judge in his trial, and others, and violates the gag order endangering those he is attacking...He continues to lie that the system is rigged, like he lied about the 2020 election.  Love, Joanie

Glen Hirose

A new Pew Research Center survey finds that 39% of Israelis say Israel's military response against Hamas in Gaza has been about right, while 34% say it has not gone far enough and 19% think it has gone too far.May 30, 2024

AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports President Biden is laying out details of an Israeli proposal for a hostage release and cease-fire in Gaza. American hostages would be released at this stage, and remains of hostages who have been killed would be returned to their families.May 31, 2024

And then there is HAMAS:

Hamas Covenant 1988

The Covenant
of the
Islamic Resistance Movement

18 August 1988

In The Name Of The Most Merciful Allah

"Ye are the best nation that hath been raised up unto mankind: ye command that which is just, and ye forbid that which is unjust, and ye believe in Allah. And if they who have received the scriptures had believed, it had surely been the better for them: there are believers among them, but the greater part of them are transgressors. They shall not hurt you, unless with a slight hurt; and if they fight against you, they shall turn their backs to you, and they shall not be helped. They are smitten with vileness wheresoever they are found; unless they obtain security by entering into a treaty with Allah, and a treaty with men; and they draw on themselves indignation from Allah, and they are afflicted with poverty. This they suffer, because they disbelieved the signs of Allah, and slew the prophets unjustly; this, because they were rebellious, and transgressed." (Al-Imran - verses 109-111).

Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it" (The Martyr, Imam Hassan al-Banna, of blessed memory).

Yea, I know I said rock, but I had to make my conserns known.

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jack Mallory

A far more detailed and up to date statement of the Hamas position, dated 2017: 

https://irp.fas.org/world/para/docs/hamas-2017.pdf

It's actually a great example of how useless opinions are without facts, regardless of John's treatise on idiocy: 

"stating that a person's "opinion" needs to be supported by facts defeats the purpose of an opinion"

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jack Mallory

Joanie, my point is simply that an opinion expressed by any individual or organization don't mean shit, as we say, without facts to support it. The Hamas statement is very long on opinion, very short on fact. While for John that may not matter, for most people it does. That's why I reject anything Hamas, or Israel, or Joe Biden or Donald Trump say unless there are verifiable facts in support. You've read the Hamas treatise--does it offer facts to support it's claims? 

John claims that an opinion needs no facts to support it--suggesting that Hamas's opinions need no evidence. BS: Opinions by themselves are meaningless. 

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Thanks Jack, for elaborating on your thoughts. I might say though that for me I don't question everyone who says something if I find them trustworthy. That is if I have experience that they are honest and I have past experience that what they say is truthful, then I don't have to back everything up they say to find supportive evidence. For instance, when Biden was asked if he would respect his son's verdict in the trial, and he said yes, and when Joe Biden was asked if he would pardon his son and he said no, then I form an opinion that Joe Biden has integrity and respects the rule of law. Love, Joanie

Glen Hirose

Well put Joanie.

Jack,

I wish I only had to deal in "Absolute truthes", no uncertaincies, opinions, just rock solid evidence. That's not the world I live in, my opinion is that 90%+ of the daily decisions made are lacking in quantifiable facts/evidences that would substanciate my actions. 

So my gut feeling is HAMAS and sypathyizer are spewing vast amounts of bovine koophla.

IMHO: Opinion is the most important human invention.

    I have no reason to like hotdogs, I just do. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Jack Mallory

Joanie, and Glen. Ronald Reagan used to quote a Russian proverb which translates as "Trust, but verify." That pretty much sums it up for me, even when I've had some reason to trust someone in the past. Trust isn't something that comes easy to a lot of Vietnam vets, others vets as well, I suspect. Nor do I have ANY faith in absolute truths. 

As I've said several times before, uncertainty and doubt are certain and undoubtable realities, if you can wrap your head around that. But in order to approximate an understanding of reality sufficient to live in this world, facts and means to evaluate, weigh, and assess their verity are the only way to fly. And science is perhaps the best way to reduce uncertainty and doubt, though certainly not end them.

Posting from Salt Lake City, visiting Devlin. 

Stephen Cutler

Hi All, I thought you might like to read a terrific article about Joyce Hill Stoner, who is still going strong at W&M. This wonderful article appeared in the W&M Spring 2024 Issue. Just open it using the link below. 

https://magazine.wm.edu/issue/2024-spring/the-many-sides-of-joyce-hill-stoner-68.php 

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Jerome Weiner (Bookin-Weiner)

Joanie, the full url for the article wasn't highlighted on the post. If you copy it all and plug it into your browser, you will be rewarded with the article, which is quite good (also quite long).

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)

Thank you so I much Jerome. Love, Joanie

I just got the whole link like you suggested and read the piece about Joyce Hill Stoner...Wow, She is sure a heavyweight and talented in so many things like art conservation, acting, lyrics, teaching, and so much more. So interesting that she personally knew Andrew Wyeth and his son, etc. I knew of her at BCC but our paths never crossed. Love, Joanie

Jim Boone

Wonderful memories of Joyce from days at Rollingwood. Hills lived right behind the playground. I still have a deep gash in my head from bending over their chain link fence to get a kick ball and cutting it on the fence.

Joyce and Rusty Thacker were great friends and collaborators in the theater.

When my wife and I were in Williamsburg in the early 70's, we went to a dinner theater and Joyuce was there, either serving tables or playing the guitar, dont rmember exactly.

Thanks for bringing back these memories. Oh yes, because her father was editor of the Post, Rollingwood would get features, there was article with me and George Lukes in it about Daniel Boone when the Davy Crockett stuff was so popular.

Jack Mallory

Good to see all the fresh faces! Greetings to all from the Salt Lake City Natural History Museum! Yesterday's visit to escape the near 100 temps. Today to hike the canyons, whatever the heat and altitude permit. 


 

Jack Mallory

Now in San Diego, seeing my private eye son. Anybody else having trouble posting pix to the forum?

Joanie Bender (Grosfeld)