Steve G do you really believe that fundamentalists only get worked up over Israeli settlements? You think if the settlements were gone Taliban girls would go to school, honor killings would stop, books wouldn't be burned, etc. etc.? If a republican asks for a ban on contraception everyone here marches, but if a middle eastern fundamentalist kills a woman not wearing a veil they blame it on Israeli settlements? Settlements are wrong as I said in my first post but where would you rather raise your family, in Tel Aviv or Saudi Arabia or Tehran? Its just a double standard where we expect more from Westernized people and excuse the behavior of others. Actually I agree with Sparky now, we are all one which means Israelis are no worse than their neighbors, and no better.

"Be forewarned people. The smallest minority in this wonderful land of ours controls the vast majority."

You are talking about Sufis right? No you couldn't be anti-jewish with a statement like that. By the way we just had a meeting at the synago... I mean bank, to raise the price of oil and have your house foreclosed on and Passover is coming up so keep your kids inside.

I guess you believe you are part of the "vast majority"? And the "vast majority" is so weak minded as to be controlled by less than one half of one percent of the people? Well who wants that vast majority in charge then.

Wow. I am a big fan Carl and I really enjoyed your first two columns from Jerusalem, some of the funniest, most well written I have seen. But now, this lazy, unexamined slam piece?

You had me with the criticism of settlements, but your good guy, bad guy reasoning is simple minded. Gee I wonder why security is high when all those non-violent followers of Gandhi are living in the West Bank, open minded people who treasure equality for women, acceptamce of other nationalities and Jews. And for you history just seems to start in 1948, how ccnvenient for your beliefs. So in 1948 the Jews were the powerful state they are today and the arabs they fought were just simple unarmed peasants? The arabs didn't just have half jerusalem at one point they had the whole city, and I wonder how loving and peaceful and caring they were to the Jews who wanted to visit back when they contolled it? And they lost that half and the west bank because the Jews didn't like their peace and love rallies in 1967 and decided to take their olive trees in response? Yes, the Israeli state and more importantly the settlers, are deserving of much criticism but your simplistic, unexamined historical justification for your analysis is really disappointing. You "dimly understood" this history and "didn't give it a thought" before yor trip? I think not Carl, I think you had your mind made up and pretended to come to your conclusions after careful reflection. Come on you can do better than this.

So spending $1.75 million to knock down a piece of amsterdam's history is a smart use of money? Next up will probably be city hall. Just keep knocking down more historical assets. The chalmers building looks better falling down than every new building that's gone up. Why don't they put city government in that grand mall downtown, there's a way to save money. Think they will put the mall on a postcard like the chalmers building or the sanford mansion? Think the empty lot that will replace the chalmers will go on a postcard? Talk about stupid.

I regularly run about 2-2.5 miles 3x week. Never ran a 15 k before. Is it too late too prepare? This week I have been adding a a half mile each day, yesterday I ran 3.5, try 4 on wed maybe 5 on sat. Any training recommendations, re: distances. Is this going to work? Haven't entered yet.