Stratfor and Nurgül Yeşilçay

This Stratfor article discusses the situation surrounding Turkey in light of its recent elections. 

First it discusses the tenuous balance between Turkey's religious (I'm not sure Islamist is quite the correct term) party the AKP and the diverse coalition of secular parties opposing it. As pointed out in the article, the AKP fell short of the super-majority they needed to unilaterally alter the Turkish Constitution, so for now a sort of stasis remains.

The article then examined Turkey's rather complex diplomatic posture, as it tries to deal with the competing pressures of the U.S., its Arab neighbors, Russia, Europe and Israel. It is taking steps towards exerting itself as a regional power, but it isn't clear how it will eventually balance all of the forces pulling and pushing against it.

Turkey is a legitimate military power, it would certainly give Europe, and perhaps even Russia, fits if they ever clashed and it is hard to imagine one of their immediate Islamic neighbors, even Iran, being able to stand against them for long. For that reason, coupled with the uncertainty of their diplomatic intentions, Turkey is a country that bears close attention.

For the article's Hot Stratfor Babe I decided to pick a Turkish actress. After my usual exhaustive and thorough search, I settled on Nurgül Yeşilçay for the honor.

The reason I settled on her was she started on the stage and played Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire. Yes, that's a ridiculous reason, but come on -- let's be honest here -- all of my Hot Stratfor Babe criteria are pretty ridiculous so precedence has already been established. 

After her stint on the stage she moved onto TV, where she had several very popular shows which led to her having a career in the movies. She also is a singer and dancer. She appears to be a very popular Turkish star.

As usual I've embedded a bonus video after the article. It is a very nice live version of Roy Orbison singing Pretty Woman while a bunch of pictures of her are shown. I must say, the camera is very kind to her. She pulls off a variety of looks quite nicely.


TURKEY'S ELECTIONS AND STRAINED U.S. RELATIONS
By George Friedman, June 14, 2011

Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) won Parliamentary elections June 12, which means it will remain in power for a third term. The popular vote, divided among a number of parties, made the AKP the most popular party by far, although nearly half of the electorate voted for other parties, mainly the opposition and largely secularist Republican People's Party (CHP). More important, the AKP failed to win a super-majority, which would have given it the power to unilaterally alter Turkey's constitution. This was one of the major issues in the election, with the AKP hoping for the super-majority and others trying to block it. The failure of the AKP to achieve the super-majority leaves the status quo largely intact. While the AKP remains the most powerful party in Turkey, able to form governments without coalition partners, it cannot rewrite the constitution without accommodating its rivals.

One way to look at this is that Turkey continues to operate within a stable framework, one that has been in place for almost a decade. The AKP is the ruling party. The opposition is fragmented along ideological lines, which gives the not overwhelmingly popular AKP disproportionate power. The party can set policy within the constitution but not beyond the constitution. In this sense, the Turkish political system has produced a long-standing reality. Few other countries can point to such continuity of leadership. Obviously, since Turkey is a democracy, the rhetoric is usually heated and accusations often fly, ranging from imminent military coups to attempts to impose a religious dictatorship. There may be generals thinking of coups and there may be members of AKP thinking of religious dictatorship, but the political process has worked effectively to make such things hard to imagine. In Turkey, as in every democracy, the rhetoric and the reality must be carefully distinguished.

Turkey's Shifting Policy

That said, the AKP has clearly taken Turkey in new directions in both domestic and foreign policy. In domestic policy, the direction is obvious. While the CHP has tried to vigorously contain religion within the private sphere, the AKP has sought to recognize Turkey's Islamic culture and has sought a degree of integration with the political structure.

This has had two results. Domestically, while the AKP has had the strength to create a new political sensibility, it has not had the strength to create new institutions based on Islamic principles (assuming this is one of its desired goals). Nevertheless, the secularists, deriving their legitimacy from the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk, have viewed his legacy and their secular rights -- one of which is the right of women not to have to wear headscarves -- as being under attack. Hence, the tenor of public discourse has been volatile. Indeed, there is a constant sense of crisis in Turkey, as the worst fears of the secularists collide with the ambitions of the AKP. Again, we regard these ambitions as modest, not because we know what AKP leaders intend in their heart, but simply because they lack the power to go further regardless of intentions.

The rise of the AKP and its domestic agenda has more than just domestic consequences. Since 2001, the United States has been fighting radical Islamists, and the fear of radical Islamism goes beyond the United States to Europe and other countries. In many ways, Turkey is both the most prosperous and most militarily powerful of any Muslim country. The idea that the AKP agenda is radically Islamist and that Turkey is moving toward radical Islamism generates anxieties and hostilities in the international system. [continued after jump]

Stop, or I'll shoot you with my tiny gun

I don't know who made these tiny guns, or how, or why. The site the gun pictures are from is in Russian so it will remain a mystery for now. Regardless, the workmanship of the miniature guns is impressive.

I've included a few on this page, and a few more after the jump. Even more can be seen by visiting the Russian website. Click on any of the pictures to enlarge them.

UPDATE: D'oh! I forgot to link to the original Russian article so you could see the rest of the pictures.

This is sure to slow down a craps game

Hmm... 3^2-3 = 3+3 = 6. 

Does that mean that each die has different math problems on them?  
 

I'll never get out of these blues alive

For this Monday morning blues session we have a live performance, by the incomparable John Lee Hooker, of  I'll never get out of these blues alive. 
 
 

The empty heart of political correctness

Wishes in the Wind by David Lenz

The above painting is Wishes in the Wind by David Lenz. Until earlier in the year it hung in the Wisconsin Governor's mansion. Governor Walker replaced it and, Wisconsin being Wisconsin, this touched off a controversy. There were charges bandied about that he was being racist for taking the painting down. You can read about it in the Journal Sentinel article Artwork shuffle at governor's mansion raises eyebrows if you're in the mood for some tedium. 

I'm not so much interested in the politics of artwork displays in Wisconsin, but I would like to talk about the painting.

It is done in the style of hyperrealism. It is obviously technically very proficient. When I first read the Journal Sentinel article it took me some time to realize that it was a painting and not a photograph. When I did finally realize it was a painting I spent time marveling over just how well he captured the look of snow and dirty slush. 

Therein lies the problem with the painting -- if one spends more time admiring the technique of painting slush in a gutter than in contemplating the three kids at its core, then perhaps the core of the painting lacks heft?  

The children at the core are simply a PC cliche. The careful gender and ethnic mix and the child-like purity in their wonderment over soap bubbles is exactly the sort of image that dominates advertising in these PC obsessed days. Look through any collection of stock photography and you'll see the same mix of diversity and smiles. The picture evokes nothing. It is, technical considerations aside, banal.

Click to enlarge

Contrast that painting with Norman Rockwell's illustration of childhood and race. On moving day the two groups of siblings approach each other tentatively. Their shared commonality -- the boy's baseball gloves, the girl's pets, and the shyness of them all -- implies that left to their own devices they will become fast friends.

However, an adult viewer of the illustration will know just how much resentment there will be towards the black family in the suburban neighborhood. Balanced against the children's ability to ignore race at their young age, is the fact that adults will likely poison the well with their prejudices. 

It is the power of Rockwell's illustration -- the simple question to the viewer, will you come between these children or will you do the right thing?

Click to enlarge

 If you think Rockwell was too maudlin ever to mean to send such a message, consider his illustration above. It drips with adult menace and racial passion. The four marshals guarding the little girl on the way to school, the splatter from the thrown tomato, the word "nigger" scrawled on the wall. It paints racism as an unmistakably ugly, irrational and violent force. It is a powerful statement made in the days before the bindings of political correctness, by an illustrator many consider a sentimental old fraud.    

I suspect Lenz's Wishes in the Wind was selected by a committee. I suspect that at least once in their meetings the following was said, "we need something to represent the diversity of our State." That's what they got -- a bit of diversified fluff with nicely rendered slush. Paint on canvas can do so much more if you're willing to look at the world instead of slogans.
 

The Rattlesnake Logo

After attending a Democratic organizing meeting, Lexington Green at Chicago Boyz came up with the idea of hacking the Obama 2012 campaign logo to have it reflect more of a Tea Party ambiance. Following his suggestions, I've lent my meager photo editing skills to create a few of his variations on the idea.

Above is one of them, the rest can be found at Obama Logo Hacked! Rattlesnake Logo Launched! There are a few up now, and more should be up later today. If you're interested, drop by his post and share your opinions and suggestions.
  
Hellooooo visitors from Transterristrial Musings.

Twitter Tony and the press

I do not know if that was my crotch or not

Anthony Weiner has lied and obfuscated every step off the way. He never sent messages, he had been hacked. Well, maybe he sent messages, but he couldn't say for certain that was his underwear. Hey, even porn stars need PR services from time to time. Weeee... I'm fighting evil in my cape and spandex. She told me she was 21.

Yesterday police raided the home of a 17 year old high school sophomore, questioning the girl and taking her computer into custody. Today, as sure as night follows day, Tony discovers he has a "sexual addiction" and begs for time off to get it treated. 

Yea Tony, we believe your motives.

Meanwhile, where's the press in all of this? Hey, don't blame them that they can't follow up on this story -- they've got 24,000 Sarah Palin emails they've got to dig through. Did you know she wanted a tanning bed, worried about her public image and had a barber named Speedy? 

What a week -- Twitter Tony protesting his ever changing innocence, zombies protesting Special Olympians, and the press floundering around on their despicable crowd-sourced fishing expedition. Meanwhile the Middle East burns, our economy is wobbling towards the cliff and who knows what stupid idea is going to come flying out of the campaigning Obama's mouth next.

It seems our priorities are a bit mixed-up and, what's worse, we can't even sensibly handle the minutia we've fixated on. I'm beginning to think that, like a panicking Ernest Borgnine in an old disaster movie, we need somebody to slap us upside the head and say, "pull yourself together, man." 

Visit from a pileated woodpecker

The other day a pileated woodpecker dropped by for a visit. It was clinging to the side of my house, eyeballing me through the window. I was surprised it let me slide away, get a camera and come back to snap a photo of it.

 

On the wisdom of size limits for reporters

Cartoon from flyguys.net

Today marks the launching of the largest fishing expedition known to mankind, as the media and their crowd sourced posse pour over Palin's e-mails from her Governor days.

Of course it is early, but so far it is clear they have nothing of any interest so far. However, that hasn't stopped them from breathlessly pumping out one article after another reporting the mundane and expected. The headlines they're sticking on them are a hoot, here's a sample one from CBS News Palin's emails: Work, disdain for the press -- and a haircut.

Wowzers! She works, doesn't like the press and gets haircuts? Tell me more! Digging into that article reveals this fascinating tidbit:

It's interesting in light of the subsequent stories about Palin's wardrobe, her shopping sprees, etc. (which she blamed on John McCain's staff). Here she is, the new vice presidential nominee, asking the name of the "barber" who will be cutting her hair in Anchorage:

In an email to aides, Palin asks:

"Do u remember who the barber is who's going to trim my hair?"

And this was the response:

"Governor-- His name is Speedy. His barbershop is in the Capt. Cook Hotel."

The barber's name is Speedy? That warrants a mention in a news article?

Real fisherman have size limits. Apparently Journalism School grads don't believe in chucking minnows back into the sea, particularly when they're hot on the trail of their desired narrative story. 

I can see Jan Crawford, the reporter of that scoop, in my mind's eye... she's stretching her hands wider and wider as she tells her story, "I swear, the story was this big, but then it slipped my hook and got away. But at least I hooked and landed Speedy from the Captain Cook Hotel!!!"  

Stratfor and Gloria Swanson

This Stratfor article discusses al Qaeda's latest video which was released in the aftermath of the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Scott Stewart, the article's author, notes that much of the latest message is recycled video and the same familiar threats.

However, the scope of the threats is getting ever more modest. Because of problems al Qaeda recruits have in maintaining operational security, large scale plots have given way to calls for jihadists in the West to plan lone-wolf operations -- telling no one, not even their friends or family, about their plans.

While these types of operations are obviously deadly to those targeted by them, they still represent a significant degradation in the scale of the mayhem planned in individual attacks. While still scheming for the resurrection of the caliphate, the tactics advocated are becoming considerably more modest and small scale.

For some reason that reminded me of the scene from Sunset Boulevard, when Joe comments to Norma Desmond, the old silent film star, that she used to be "big" and she testily replies, "I am big. It's the pictures that got small."

On the strength of that line I've selected Gloria Swanson, who played the delusional and dangerous Norma, as this article's Hot Stratfor Babe.

As a bonus, after the article there is a video, with Hillary Clinton replacing Norma, of the famous stairway scene which ended Sunset Boulevard.


AL QAEDA'S NEW VIDEO: A MESSAGE OF DEFEAT
By Scott Stewart, June 9, 2011

A new video from al Qaeda's media arm, As-Sahab, became available on the Internet on June 2. The video was 100 minutes long, distributed in two parts and titled "Responsible Only for Yourself." As the name suggests, this video was the al Qaeda core's latest attempt to encourage grassroots jihadists to undertake lone-wolf operations in the West, a recurrent theme in jihadist messages since late 2009.

The video, which was well-produced and contained a number of graphics and special effects, features historical footage of a number of militant Islamist personalities, including Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, Abdullah Azzam and Abu Yahya al-Libi.

In addition to al-Libi, who is considered a prominent al Qaeda ideological authority, the video also features an extensive discourse from another Libyan theologian, Sheikh Jamal Ibrahim Shtaiwi al-Misrati. Al-Misrati (who is from Misurata, as one can surmise from his name) was also featured in a March 25 As-Sahab message encouraging jihadists in Libya to assume control of the country and place it under Shariah once the Gadhafi regime is overthrown. The still photo used over the March message featuring al-Misrati was taken from the video used in the June 2 message, indicating that the recently released video of al-Misrati was shot prior to March 25. The video also contains a short excerpt of a previously released Arabic language Al-Malahim media video by Anwar al-Awlaki and an English-language statement by Adam Gadahn that is broken up into small segments and appears periodically throughout the video.

Despite the fact that many of the video segments used to produce this product are quite dated, there is a reference to bin Laden as a shaheed, or martyr, so this video was obviously produced after his death.

Unlike the As-Sahab message on the same topic featuring Adam Gadahn released in March 2010 and the English-language efforts of  al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's "Inspire" magazine, this video is primarily in Arabic, indicating that it is intended to influence an Arabic-speaking audience.

To date, much of the media coverage pertaining to the release of this video has focused on one short English-language segment in which Adam Gadahn encourages Muslims in the United States to go to gun shows and obtain automatic weapons to use in shooting attacks. This focus is understandable given the contentiousness of the gun-control issue in the United States, but a careful examination of the video reveals far more than just fodder for the U.S. gun-control debate.

Contents of the Video

The first 36 minutes of the video essentially comprise a history lesson of militants who heard the call to jihad and then acted on it. Among the examples are individuals such as ElSayyid Nosair, the assassin of Jewish Defense League founder Meir Kahane; Abdel Basit (also known as Ramzi Yousef), the operational planner of the 1993 World Trade Center attack and the thwarted Bojinka plot; Mohammed Bouyeri, the assassin of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh; and Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan. Others include the leader of the team of assassins who killed Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and the militants behind the Mumbai attacks.

Then, after listing those examples, the video emphasizes the point that if one is to live in the "real Islamic way," one must also follow the examples of the men profiled. Furthermore, since the "enemies of Islam" have expanded their "attacks against Islam" in many different places, the video asserts that it is not only in the land of the Muslims that the enemies of Islam must be attacked, but also in their homelands (i.e., the West). In fact, the video asserts that it is easy to strike the enemies of Islam in their home countries and doing so creates the biggest impact. And this is the context in which Gadahn made his widely publicized comment about Muslims buying guns and conducting armed assaults.

Now, it is important to briefly address this comment by Gadahn: While it is indeed quite easy for U.S. citizens to legally purchase a wide variety of firearms, it is illegal for them to purchase fully automatic weapons without first obtaining the proper firearms license. This fixation with obtaining fully automatic rifles instead of purchasing readily available and legal semi-automatic weapons has led to the downfall of a number of jihadist plots inside the United States, including one just last month in New York. Therefore, aspiring jihadists who would seek to follow Gadahn's recommendations to the letter would almost certainly find themselves quickly brought to the attention of the authorities.

When we look at the rest of Gadahn's comments in this video, it is clear the group is trying to convey a number of other interesting points. First, Gadahn notes that jihadists wanting to undertake lone-wolf activities must take all possible measures to keep their plotting secret, and the first thing they should do is avail themselves of all the electronic manuals available on the Internet pertaining to security. [continues after jump]

Toccatina

A song by Mouse on the Keys to jazz-poofterize you for the weekend.

 

Budget Vacations - 43rd Annual Hollerin' Contest

Thus far my travel tips for Recovery Summer - the Sequel have taken us to such sights as atomic cannons, giant weather vanes and quack medical devices. In keeping with my promise to always recommend the finest educational, inspiring and culturally enriching travel destinations, in this post I suggest a visit to an event --  the 43rd Annual Hollerin' Contest held in Spivey's Corner, North Carolina.

They're holding it on June 18th, so you have plenty of time to pack your picnic lunch and get there early for a good spot. I suggest setting up your lawn chairs right next to one of the amplifiers so's you can fully bask in the Hollerin' Contest experience.

As the link above mentions, along with the contest there is an antique farm equipment exhibit, classic car show, corn hole tournament, concerts and naturally food vendors. I'm guessing the food alone would make the trip worth it.
  
Visit their  43rd Annual Hollerin' Contest webpage for driving directions to the contest.

Views from the rat race

How would you like to deal with this  unsmiling bureaucrat?

Ned Hardy has a the post 16 Pictures Of People Sitting At Their Desk From Around The World. The title is self-explanatory. They're quite interesting. One thing that jumps out is how few of the desks have computers,. I guess a lot of the world still relies on good ol' fashioned pencil pushers.

I've only posted 4 of them, be sure to go to his site to see the rest. 

Necessity is the mother of invention

Every thing about this picture is how I would imagine it

He looks like he enjoys his work quite a bit

Zombies protest the Special Olympics

An enthusiastic looking group of zombies protest Special Olympians

Today a group of Special Olympians traveled to Madison Wisconsin for a visit to the Capitol. While there, they got to meet Bucky Badger, the University of Wisconsin mascot and the Governor was slated to give a few brief remarks complimenting them on their hard work, dedication and athletic achievements.

As Governor Walker stepped to the podium amidst a scattering of boos, a group of students, poorly costumed as zombies, filed in and stood between the Governor and the Special Olympians he was recognizing. Blocking the view of the Special Olympians, they waved their fists around in solidarity with something or another during the Governor's speech. There was a scattering of catcalls from other protestors.

Video of the sad spectacle is at Anne Althouse's blog. It is a pretty stunning demonstration of a complete lack of decorum and sense of propriety.

I've mentioned once or twice before that, because the unionistas couldn't get the numbers of protestors they needed in Madison using union people alone, Trumka invited any Progressive group to join them as a show of support. I argued that the danger of this to the union cause was that the union message would end up getting drowned out by the cacophony of all these other groups.

This is a clear example of that problem. The concept of  a time and a place for everything was obviously absent in their planning; as was the notion of when respect for another person's ceremony is expected. Their callous disregard for the Special Olympians is a sorry sight to behold. 

Hopefully it gets a lot of air time on Wisconsin TV.
 

Lego Super-8 projector

Peaceman has built a Super-8 movie projector out of a lens, reels, a light source and Lego Technic. You can see it in operation in the above video (via Retro Thing).  
 

Stratfor and Emile de Raven

In Freidman's last Stratfor article he discussed the strategic options open to Israel in light of the current situation in the Middle East. This is a companion piece, but viewed from the perspective of the Palestinians. 

He is still advocating that Israel's best move is to return to the '67 borders, but -- while following his logic -- there is one thing I wonder about. The Hamas/Fatah detente seems to be largely seen as a winning move by the Palestinians, but doesn't that slide them closer to being in the Iranian orbit? Is that really in their long-term interest?

As Friedman notes, the Arabs already don't have much use for the Palestinians, will they really sit back and support them if it seems they are swinging too far towards Tehran? Finally, what if Syria goes up in smoke for the Iranians and is lost to them? Wouldn't Fatah, Hamas and Hezbullah then be cut off from Iranian easily supporting them?

Regardless, the mess of the Middle East made me chose Evangeline Lilly, messy from mud wrestling, as the last article's Hot Stratfor Babe. As strange as it may sound, finding classy examples of woman mud wrestlers is easier said than done. As a result,  I switched from that line of search to actresses on Lost with messy hairdos. Eh, whatever works.

Following that criteria, for this article I chose Emile de Raven as the Hot Strafor Babe. Emile played Claire, who started out as a sweet and kind single mother who was one of the people stranded when the plane crashed. I say 'started out' because by the final season she had gone completely insane. As an example of her nuttiness, the picture of her above is just before she buries an axe in some poor schmoe's belly.

Claire's gone nuts, and is killing guys left and right, because she lost her baby and her new friend the Smoke Monster (hey, just go with it) told her the other people on the island kidnapped him. Hence, she's been slaughtering them off one at a time because she's sworn blood revenge on the person who took her kid.

Well, the reality is Claire, upon going bonkers, had left the little brat on a tree stump. Her fellow castaway Kate found him and took him along when she escaped the island. So, while Claire was still stranded, jabbering to herself in a jungle shack and tending to her surrogate doll baby made out of squirrel skin and an animal's skull, Kate was, after beating the rap for blowing her dad up and going on a multi-state crime spree, living it up and pawning herself off as the real mom of Claire's kid.

As I mentioned in the previous article -- Lost is about as complicated, and makes about as much sense, as Middle East politics. See what I mean?

Anyway, this all lead to a quite hilarious scene where Kate, who has returned to the island, first encounters crazy Claire and cheerily tells her she's been raising her beautiful baby boy for her. Meanwhile Claire is standing there with smoke squirting out of her ears and wishing her axe was handy. Quite the social gaffe, all in all.

As a bonus after the article I've included a brief scene where you can see Claire gathering up the knife she plans on sticking Kate with, get a good look at the creepy Squirrel Baby, and see Kate with a bewildered WTF look on her face through the whole thing.


THE PALESTINIAN MOVE
By George Friedman, June 7, 2011

A former head of Mossad, Meir Dagan, has publicly criticized the current Israeli government for a lack of flexibility, judgment and foresight, calling it "reckless and irresponsible" in the handling of Israel's foreign and security policies. In various recent interviews and speeches, he has made it clear that he regards the decision to ignore the 2002 Saudi proposal for a peace settlement on the pre-1967 lines as a mistake and the focus on Iran as a diversion from the real issue -- the likely recognition of an independent Palestinian state by a large segment of the international community, something Dagan considers a greater threat.

What is important in Dagan's statements is that, having been head of Mossad from 2002 to 2010, he is not considered in any way to be ideologically inclined toward accommodation. When Dagan was selected by Ariel Sharon to be head of Mossad, Sharon told him that he wanted a Mossad with "a knife between its teeth." There were charges that he was too aggressive, but rarely were there charges that he was too soft. Dagan was as much a member of the Israeli governing establishment as anyone. Therefore, his statements, and the statements of some other senior figures, represent a split not so much within Israel but within the Israeli national security establishment, which has been seen as being as hard-line as the Likud.

In addition, over the weekend, when pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the Golan Heights tried to force their way into Israeli-held territory, Israeli troops opened fire. Eleven protesters were killed in the Golan, and six were killed in a separate but similar protest in the West Bank. The demonstrations, like the Nakba-day protests, were clearly intended by the Syrians to redirect anti-government protests to some other issue. They were also meant to be a provocation, and the government in Damascus undoubtedly hoped that the Israelis would open fire. Dagan's statements seem to point at this paradox. There are two factions that want an extremely aggressive Israeli security policy: the Israeli right and countries and militant proxies like Hamas that are actively hostile to Israel. The issue is which benefits more.

3 Strategic Phases

Last week we discussed Israeli strategy. This week I want us to consider Palestinian strategy and to try to understand how the Palestinians will respond to the current situation. There have been three strategies on Palestine. The first was from before the founding of Israel until 1967. In this period, the primary focus was not on the creation of a Palestinian state but on the destruction of Israel by existing Arab nation-states and the absorption of the territory into those states.

Just a few years before 1967, the Palestine Liberation Army (PLO) came into existence, and after Israel's victory in the June 1967 war, the Arab nations began to change their stance from simply the destruction of Israel and absorption of the territories into existing nation-states to the creation of an independent Palestinian state. The PLO strategy at this time was a dual track divided between political and paramilitary operations and included terrorist attacks in both Israel and Europe. The political track tried to position the PLO as being open to a negotiated state, while the terrorist track tried to make the PLO seem extremely dangerous in order to motivate other nations, particularly European nations, to pressure Israel on the political track.

The weakness of this strategy was that the political track lost credibility as the terrorist track became bound up with late Cold-War intrigues involving European terrorist groups like Italy's Red Brigade or Germany's Red Army Faction. Their networks ranged from the Irish Republican Army to the Basque terrorist group ETA to Soviet bloc intelligence services. The PLO was seen as a threat to Europe on many levels as well as a threat to the Arab royal houses that they tried to undermine. [continued after jump]

The action of water on folded paper

Flotille by Etienne Cliquet. An intricately cut and folded piece of paper is floated in a dish of water. Capillary action causes the paper to unfold to its original position. The shadows, and patterns on the paper, all in gray are quite striking.

A question for Debbie Wafflehead Schultz

On Friday, in an interview the following exchange occurred:

CHRIS WRAGGE: I know you were born in Queens, which is the home district of congressman Anthony Weiner, who’s embroiled in quite the controversy right now. Do you think that your colleague has done enough to explain himself?

WAFFLEHEAD SCHULTZ: I think Anthony Weiner is dealing with a personal matter and that’s where it should be left.

WRAGGE: Do you think he’s done enough to explain himself though?

WAFFLEHEAD SCHULTZ: I think it’s a personal matter and that’s where it should be left.

Weiner held a press conference today, in which he admitted to sending the picture in question. He admitted there were other pictures -- including one that is much more graphic He admitted to lying about his account being hacked. His false claim of his account being hacked raises serious issues over the damage he may have done to the reputation of Twitter and Yfrog with his false claims.

He has refused to resign.

My question to Ms. Wafflehead Schultz: in light of his refusal to resign, in spite of his his ethical, and perhaps criminal, lapses -- are you going to allow Weiner to continue to caucus with the Democrats?

UPDATE: I see Pelosi is calling for an ethic investigation of Weiner. We don't need one of those farcial Senate ethics investigations that never lead to anything more than a slap on the wrist. His words were pretty clear in his press conference. I'll ask Pelosi the same question -- are you going to allow Weiner to continue to caucus with the Democrats?

One for my Baby (and one more for the road)

Monday morning is upon us, so it is time for the start of the workweek blues. Today we have Billie Holiday singing  One for my Baby (and one more for the road).

Old Russian photos

Some photos from English Russia's post Private Photos of the USSR Inhabitants. The implication is that these are snapshots, but a lot of them look posed and professional to me. Still, it is a large and interesting set. I've only posted a few here, and after the jump, but there are many more if you follow the link to English Russia.