The peace plan

The United States and Israel have just agreed on a plan to end the war. But the war is with Hamas. And now Hamas must accept. Free the hostages. Disarm. End this.

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) September 29, 2025

It's on Hamas now.

Turn! Turn! Turn!

This song was playing at Whole Foods today while I was shopping. Seemed relevant somehow, given the ongoing nightmare of our political situation. And I love Roger McGuinn's 12 string Rickenbacker guitar. So, here it is ...



Roger McGuinn and other past members of The Byrds at the Roy Orbison Tribute Concert for the Homeless, 1990, at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles

At the UN

David Rubenstein on Times Radio discussing Netanyahu's speech at the UN ...

I hope that the people who stormed out of the hall during Netanyahu's UN speech will do something more significant in their lives than walking out of a room.

Me to @cathynewman on @TimesRadio pic.twitter.com/hIo5NiQuqU

— Daniel Rubenstein (@paulrubens) September 26, 2025

More Everest

See, it's not just me who cares about Mt. Everest :)

The war

You will soon hear news of widespread damage to buildings in Gaza City.

That’s because Hamas’ terrorist army, which launched this war, is fighting a brutal urban guerrilla war.

Hamas should surrender. pic.twitter.com/inRYCuvoce

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) September 25, 2025

Yes, the IDF continues into Gaza City, where Hamas has a stronghold and where the hostages are being held. Yes, people will die, which is why they have been told to evacuate the city to a humanitarian zone, about 6 miles away. To their own cost, the IDF is trying to save innocent lives.

I don't understand what people expect Israel to do differently. Abandon the hostages? Quit fighting and leave Hamas in power, after they murdered over 1000 people, most of them women and children and the elderly, to do more of the same?

But The Times of Israel's daily briefing discusses a plan put forward that will try to end the fighting, get the hosteges released, and insert a different Arab governing plan for Gaza ...

Everest

Andrzej Bargiel Skis Down Everest – Four Days Ago

[...] This year’s expedition was well-documented, and the team shared regular updates, but for some reason, the successful summit and descent were kept quiet until today. At ExplorersWeb, we received Red Bull’s press release three minutes before writing these lines.

Some 30 minutes before, Bargiel’s team posted a video on social media: [see the video above]. For the rest, we might have to wait for a documentary to be released next year ...

I've never tried downhill skiing, only cross-country a couple of times. So beautiful and scary! :)

Don't Do Me Like That

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1982, Edinburgh Playhouse, Scotland.

The "Blue" Scare?

A really interesting episode by Ezra Klein on our present political situation and its similarities to our country's earlier McCarthyism/Red Scare.

I was a kid in the 50s and was exposed to the political Right's worries about communism through my grandmother's sister, Auntie Bert. Auntie Bert was the only one of the family then who had graduated from college (UC Berkeley) and she had a cool apartment by the San Francisco marina. She belonged to the John Birch Society and the Masonic Order of the Eastern Star.

When the family met at my grandparents' house, Auntie Bert would bring us kuds anti-communist comic books and a board game which had the Communisits trying to "paint the world red", as well as religious tracts warning us about basically everything. Fortunately, though we loved Auntie Bert, we thought she was a nut, so none of that stuff stuck.

Or maybe some of it did ... is that why I don't like Mamdani? ;)

Eylon Levy

🎉 Honoured to share I’ve been named the #1 Young Zionist Visionary by JNF-USA and the Jerusalem Post.

The Jewish People have always drawn strength from our boundless imagination, dreaming big in dark times.

We'll need every ounce of vision to heal and rebuild once this war is… pic.twitter.com/HH3XcesIQV

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) September 21, 2025

I first came upon Eylon Levy shortly after the Oct 7 attack by Hamas. From Wikipedia ...

Eylon Aslan-Levy, (Hebrew: אילון אסלן-לוי) also known as Eylon Levy, is a British-Israeli figure who served as official Israeli government spokesman, from the start of Gaza war to March 2024, when he was suspended as spokesman after complaints from the UK government following his public criticism of their stance towards Israel and the Gaza war. He continues his public advocacy work, with a podcast partly-sponsored by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism ....

I was looking for information about what was happening, but my normal news sources like The New York Times and The Washington Post weren't all that helpful. So then I started looking at The Times of Israel for info - it was online and in English and seemed balanced and fair.

The editor of The Times, David Horovitz, mentioned Eylon Levy as a good spokesperson for what was happening with the war. So I started watching the videos he put out back then, from the Israeli Citizen Spokespersons Project. Now I check his video page and his twitter page - he's a good source of info for Israel.

And he's a vegetarian, like me :)

A Palestinian state?

Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett calls the UK's decision to recognise the state of Palestine 'cynical, damaging and hollow' and doesn't accept that Israel's actions in Gaza are responsible for other countries making the same decision.https://t.co/G8gDzyqv3Q pic.twitter.com/E6luEKxNlJ

— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 21, 2025

U.K., Canada and Australia formally recognize a Palestinian state, breaking with the U.S.

[...] Hamas applauded the decision, calling it a “rightful outcome of our people’s struggle, steadfastness, and sacrifices on the path to liberation and return.” ...

I think recognizing a Palestinian state now is a bad idea. It rewards the terrorists for atrocities they committed on October 7.

It's especially disingenuous coming from countries like the UK and France, who will only give up their own "territories" when they are pried out of their cold dead hands.

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest 2025 opens with traditional keg-tapping

Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter gave the Oktoberfest in the Bavarian capital its traditional launch on Saturday, opening a barrel of beer and marking it with the time-honored phrase "O'zapft is!" (Bavarian for "It is tapped"). Reiter then handed the first mug to Bavarian Premier Markus Söder with a wish for a peaceful festival, with the day's sunny, late summer weather auguring well for its success ...

I had to smile when I saw this in the news because it reminds me of happy times in college. Both my sister and I and also my then boyfriend took German as our required foreign language, and Oktoberfest was a fun time to practice it.

Why choose German, you might ask. I think my boyfriend chose it because of the foreign beer (ha ha) but both my sister and I were taking philosophy classes and German is a good language for philosophy ... Kant, Schopenhauer, Leibniz, Heidegger. I still remember one class where our book had the Critique of Pure Reason with German on one side and English on the other.

Sad truth is, though, that if you learn a foreign language, there's often no one to speak it with after college - we spent a lot of time watching old WWII movies to try to decifer what the bad guys (the Germans) were saying. We did get to use our German a bit, though, on our trip to Europe ... I remember ordering our food (mine was an asparagus sandwich) in German at a cafe in Lucerne, Switzerland :)

Here's an old photo of me and my then boyfriend and out families from back then ...

Harris' book

Kamala Harris has some thoughts about her potential 2028 rivals

In Kamala Harris' new book, after basically stabbing Joe Biden in the back, she goes on to explain that she didn't choose Pete Buttigieg for her VP because she thought he was unelectably gay, and she didn't choose Josh Shapiro for her VP because she thought he was too ambitious.

I believe either one of those men would have been a much more sucessful Democratic candidate in the last election than Harris was.

She obviously plans to run again ... I'm already getting emails from her asking for donations ... but I think we Democrats would be hard pressed to find a more unacceptable candidate than her. She would lose again. We can do better.

My Sweet Lord

Billy Preston performing "My Sweet Lord" at the concert in honor of George Harrison, 2002.

When Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton and Dhani Harrison back you up, you know you're in for a legendary moment in music history. pic.twitter.com/CMFYaL33DF

— 🎸 Rock History 🎸 (@historyrock_) August 9, 2025

Free speech

RIP: Robert Redford

Robert Redford, charismatic star and Oscar-winning director, dies at age 89

Sad. It seems like Robert Redford has been a companion, keeping me company for as long as I can remember through his movies.

I think the first movie I noticed him in was the popular "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butch_Cassidy_and_the_Sundance_Kid">Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid ...



There were so many movies after that that I liked, such as Jeremiah Johnson and Three Days of the Condor.

And, of course, All the President's Men ...



After that, I especially liked Sneakers, Spy Game, The Company You Keep, and his appearances in the Avengers' movies ...



Sorry to see him go.

Acorns

It's acorn time so I went out to get a photo ...

The cats were mostly napping. Here's Hansel ...

And Prince Wendell ...

Let's Dance

David Bowie on A&E Live by Request, 2002, singing Let's Dance.

The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue

Here is the trailer for the documentary film, The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue. It has recently won the People's Choice Award at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

It's about retired Israeli general Noam Tibon's rescue of his family from kibbutz Nahal Oz when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023.

I'm grateful it won an award, because before it won, I could not find a trailer of it anywhere. Why not? Because the film has faced a ton of anti-Israel publicity. It was almost forced out of the film festival because the filmmakers hadn't gotten release forms from Hamas to show footage the terrorists filmed themselves of their atrocities and posted online for all the world to see.

Israeli film on Oct. 7 wins People’s Choice Award for best documentary at Toronto film festival

Pete on Meet the Press

Pete Buttigieg was on Meet the Press today.

Undun

Canadian band, The Guess Who, on The Midnight Special, 1973, Burton Cummings singing Undun.

The birthday book

It seems incredible that the people who hung around with Epstein and Maxwell didn't have some inkling of what they were doing.

For instance, Ghislaine Maxwell attended Chelsea Clinton's wedding in 2010, and she attended the Clinton Global Initiative conference in 2013 as an advocate for ocean conservation. Both events were years after Epstein was first arrested and did jail time in 2008. Did they really not see what kind of person Maxwell is?

In Jerusalem

Six killed by Palestinian gunmen at Jerusalem bus stop

Six people have been killed and eight others wounded by Palestinian gunmen in one of the deadliest shooting attacks in Jerusalem in the past few years. Israeli police said "two terrorists arrived in a vehicle" and opened fire towards a bus stop at Ramot Junction, on the city's northern outskirts. An off-duty soldier and a civilian returned fire, "neutralising" the attackers, it added ...

This was the moment of this morning’s bus massacre in Jerusalem. Six dead, six seriously injured after terrorists opened fire inside a packed bus. Attackers taken down by two armed Haredi men. pic.twitter.com/htrnimEjcZ

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) September 8, 2025

Hair

A cover of the song Hair by Dutch band Zen, 1968/9.

A home for fleas, a hive for bees, a nest for birds, there ain't no words for the beauty, the splendor, the wonder of my hair

Thiis song always makes me smile :)

Winter World

The latest science fiction novel I'm reading is Winter World (The Long Winter Trilogy Book 1)

Here's the blurb from Goodreads ...

In the near future, a new ice age has begun.

Humanity stands on the brink of extinction.

Desperate for answers, scientists send probes into the solar system to take readings. Near Mars, they identify a mysterious object moving toward the Sun. Is it the cause of the ice age? Or could it be humanity’s only hope of survival?

With time running out, NASA launches a mission to make contact. But the object isn’t what anyone thought. In the dark of space, alone, the team makes a discovery that will change the course of human history—and possibly end it.

Filled with real science and fascinating details, Winter World is that unique blend of fact and fiction that could completely change how you see our planet—and humanity’s future. For those intrepid souls starting this bestselling trilogy, be warned: you may well be up late into the night turning the pages.

It's really pretty good, especially the characters.

Humanitarian zone

The Hamas regime is trying to get Palestinian civilians killed.

Israel just announced a new humanitarian zone, to keep them safe from the terrorists fighting under their feet. pic.twitter.com/bf5agyIMBh

— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) September 6, 2025

IDF announces new humanitarian zone in southern Gaza as it steps up offensive in the north

The IDF announces the establishment of a new humanitarian zone in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip as it intensifies efforts to conquer Gaza City.

The zone will include field hospitals, water pipelines, and desalination facilities, along with a steady flow of food, tents, medicine, and medical supplies, coordinated through COGAT with the UN and other international organizations, the military says ...

Never Comes the Day

Moody Blues, Justin Hayward singing Never Comes the Day, 1969.

Ralph Goings

When I was a kid, my big dream was to be an artist. I was so lucky to have as my high school art teacher someone who went on to be a well known painter - Ralph Goings. Sadly, he passed away in 2016 - obituary. Here are a few of his works ...

RALPH GOINGS (American b. 1928)
"Donut" 1995
Oil on canvas pic.twitter.com/acOFxSlzAn

— Francisco Ribeiro (@fraveris) December 9, 2022

Ralph Goings (American, 1928 - 2016)
"Still Life with Straws" 1978, oil on canvas, 78. x 81. cm. pic.twitter.com/k3N87acmQj

— Olga Tuleninova 🦋 (@olgatuleninova) October 29, 2022

Walt’s Restaurant by Ralph Goings 1978–79
Oil on Canvas
(Yale University Art Gallery pic.twitter.com/E3Wb98RoJl

— John Constable (@JohnConstableRA) July 12, 2022

Ralph Goings (American, b,1928) ~~ Flowered Table Top, 1978, Watercolor and graphite on paper
image: 10 x 10 in. (25.4 x 25.4) cm. pic.twitter.com/JCPFGA0YVh

— Olga Tuleninova 🦋 (@olgatuleninova) January 27, 2024

Poll

Uncomfortable truth: Hamas remains very popular in Palestinian society. About one-third of Palestinians support Hamas. Many more see Hamas as an integral part of Palestinian society. It's very stupid to speak about Gaza as if "Hamas" and "the people of Gaza" are two completely… pic.twitter.com/zgxR8FjGqu

— Daniel Rubenstein (@paulrubens) September 3, 2025

This chart is from a poll ... These are the results of the latest poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between 1-4 May 2025. The whole poll with other charts can be found here: PSR: Public Opinion Poll No (95).

I found this part especially disturbing ...

3. War crimes and atrocities:

When asked if Hamas had committed the atrocities seen in the videos shown by international media displaying acts or atrocities committed by Hamas members against Israeli civilians, such as killing women and children in their homes. The overwhelming majority (87%) said it did not commit such atrocities, and only 9% said it did.

Here's the Wikipedia page for the polling place: Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research

They laughed

More about the interview with Ghislaine Maxwell ... she and Todd Blanche spent most of their time together yucking it up.