www.binza.com
Reading GKahn's memoirs reminds me a lot of a book I read in college.....Studs Terkel's "The Good War," which is an oral history of WWII told through the memories of people who lived through the events. Keep your memiors coming, GKhan. It's a fascinating read!
I have a good friend who's Muslim, and several acquaintances too. I know what you mean about their hatred toward Israel. It's there with every one of them, man or woman. I dated a Muslim woman from work earlier this year, actually. It was during the time when Israel was cracking down in the Gaza strip, and she asked me what I thought about it, and I refused to talk about it. I'm a staunch supporter of Israel, and I knew there was no way we could talk about the subject. She kept asking me, "Why, why won't you talk about it?" I just refused, cuz it was a no-win situation.
TAD: thinking of you today. I'm sure it's never easy.
Happy Father's Day to ckb, dom, future-daddy, Chuck...and my own (perchance the best) Khan. Thank you for being such an awesome dad.
To OMJ - my husband, today was by far the worst day in our parenting history...future Father's Days will be spent - just the 2 of us...marooned on an island somewhere. Binzamom, are you available to b.sit? HA. But seriously.
Oh man. This is fascinating. Did you come across vehement Arab hatred of Israel prior to '67?
The power of propaganda. Amazing.
Eagerly awaiting installment 3.
The part of about watching the Germans rebuild the line that Lawrence destroyed brought chills up my spine. Not sure why. Certain historic details turn me into Garth from Wayne's World.
#2 installment continued. Chris -- what is the word limit for this post site?
One day in class we were having a conversation about Palestine – I say one day but it was a constant subject with Bint. Finally, I remarked: ma fi el filistine. Meaning there is no such thing/place as Palestine. (Possibly not a very diplomatic comment). Bint jumped out of her seat in a rage and began pounding on the table with her fist while shouting: Fi, fi, el filistine! There is, there is a Palestine. Then she added that she was raising her 4 sons for only one purpose which was to turn the sea (the Med) red with the blood of the yehudis. When I hear people disparage our (the U.S.) support for Israel, I have to wonder if they really have thought about what the alternative would mean.
I left Saudi Arabia in Dec 1967 for onward assignment to Laos. I had to wait in the U.S. until after Tet (1968) before going on to Vientiane. For the next two years I was a close spectator of a different war. Then two years later (1970) with my new bride, Binzamom, I left for our honeymoon assignment in Asmara (Eritrea) - then the northern province of Ethiopia - where binzadaughter (or the person binzason when in a snit would call the Queen of Sheba) was born. We watched the Eritrean Liberation Front – which had been a ‘legitimate’ national struggle to regain independence from Ethiopia gradually turn into a more radicalized, heavily muslim-influenced organization. These were still the days of the cold war so read into the roux of each problem the old word USSR.
Asmara or Asmera means ‘United’ in Tigryina. It had been three separate villages in the ‘old days’, with each village having some product the other two needed. The village women had to trudge daily through the bush to the other two villages in order to obtain items needed to support life. It was a dangerous trail, and women frequently were killed by predators. Eventually, the women had had enough of asking the men to unite the villages and they went on strike. Almost like magic, the old villages were razed and a new central village established. No more consumer commuting. After 2 ˝ years in Asmara, our honeymoon post, we were assigned to Paris.
Installment #2
Please remember that this is not written as an academic or historical text but simply a personal memoire – “Hell, I was there!” – to quote one of our late, great gun editors, Elmer Keith.
On June 5, 1967, Israel took on the military might of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria as well as additional troops from Iraq, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Saudi Arabia. The Saudis sent the White Army (national guard eqv.) which Hussein immediately parked somewhere in the desert – possibly Wadi Ramm – so they wouldn’t get in the way. It took the Israelis six days to destroy them all, including Jordan’s famous Arab Legion which was billed as the finest, most disciplined army in the middle-east. Pasha Glubb wept in his grave. The Syrians were routed and the Egyptian military thrashed. How could this happen? Who could be responsible for this devastating defeat of the cream of the Arab armies by infidels and sons of pigs?
Everyone in the middle-east had a miniature transistor radio and the only station in the area with a powerful radio transmitter was radio Egypt. Nasser put the blame for the loss squarely on the United States, and to some extent Britain, for direct (but non-existent) military involvement on the side of Israel. The propaganda was constant, outrageously false, and utterly effective. The masses responded and the long fuse of pan-Arab terrorism was lit. Within days an explosive charge was detonated in the window a/c unit of one of our embassy’s offices. The 150 pound chunk of steel circled the room several times, destroying everything in it, and then blew down the heavy wooden outer door before flying into the courtyard. I was sunning myself by the swimming pool when debris started raining down. Shortly after that, the istaaq barak arrested one of our Palestinian gardners. He was held for a long time before finally being released. A Palestinian put a straight-edge razor to my throat and said he was going to kill me for what “I” had done in support of Israel. I (obviously) was able to reason with him. Unless you actually experience it, it is difficult to understand the absolute hatred many Arabs have for Israel. The constant barrage of lies – mingled with truth – over so many years, and the utter despair of so many refugees of so many generations living in such squalor has turned normally rational people into sociopathic monsters. I think I’ve mentioned it before but will repeat myself. My Arab language tutor in Jidda was a very refined woman born in ‘Palestine’ but raised in Saudi Arabia after her father/mother had ‘fled’ there. Her father had a prominent position with the foreign ministry in Jidda. I’ll call her ‘Bint’. One day in class we were having a conversation about Palestine – I say one day but it was a constant harangue with Bint. Finally, I remarked: ma fi el filistine. Meaning there is no such thing/place as Palestine. (Possibly not a very diplomatic comment). Bint jumped out of her seat in a ra
Installment 1 rocked. Eagerly awaiting installment 2.
Observations about the problem in Iran based on personal experiences:
Installment #1.
Prior to 1967, the west was welcome in much of the middle east/south asia (MESA) including Iran; Faisal in Saudi Arabia was a friend of the west – educated in economics in London -- and was trying to modernize his country while bringing it back from the edge of bankruptcy brought about by the spending habits of his brother Saud. Faisal’s response to the religious radicals demands that he enforce their version of islam was to build a girls’ school in a city that was in the heart of ikhwan territory. He introduced television to the kingdom, gaining its acceptance by having the koran read as part of the regular programming. (I remember watching the news one evening and seeing myself shaking hands with king faisal). I met palestinians in the most remote areas of the peninsula who were delighted to meet an american and practice their English. German contractors had been hired by the saudis to rebuild the Hejaz railway which had been destroyed (mostly) by T.E. Lawrence (of arabia). I drove along parts of this line and met with the germans. No one had any fear of traveling/working/living in the remote areas inhabited only by the bedu, or of being in the cities and towns where crime was really rare – losing a hand was a mild punishment for criminals. Beheadings were carried out in the town squares on occasion and stonings (to death) were held each Friday at noon. Western women shopped regularly in the souks without problems. My old friend Dr. Elizabeth Hoffman Schnauzer practiced dentistry in the heart of Jidda and drove here mercedez-benz to and from work – despite it being illegal for a woman to drive a car or engage in public business. The wife of a friend of mine was shopping in a mini-skirt when a member of the ulemma tapped her bare calf with his bamboo rod to indicate she should dress a little more modestly; she broke a bottle of olive oil over his head. I was the designated ‘tourist guide’ for embassy visitors in that I would take them into the interior in a land rover to take pictures of the bedouin. A few rials usually overcame religious objections to photographs. No violence, no crime, no security worries. The same with Jordan and Syria – although Syrian border guards were always more suspicious.
This all changed in June 1967. Nasser believed in a united arab front – naturally with him as its head. The only way to lead all of the muslims is to destroy israel. He tried in June and lost. Syria and Jordan paid heavily for Nasser’s dream. Nasser convinced the masses that the loss was because of the United States direct involvement in the war. Nasser created the PLO. Everything has gone down hill since then.
Yeah, you can't always go by critics and Oscar nominations. A couple years ago, "Good Night, and Good Luck" got all kinds of nominations, and I thought it was one of the most boring movies I've ever seen. And I'm somebody who *likes* dialog-intensive movies.
lol......oops. If I ever get the Tony award I don't think I could get through my speech without weeping.
Chuck, the Grammy's are the Music Industry awards...LOL. I think you mean the Oscars, Golden Globes...etc. And of course you know the Tony Award is the most prestigious Softball prize out there.
Yeah...i could see thinking the Wrestler was over rated. I went in with low expectations for some reason. Sometimes the Grammy hype makes these movies out to be much more profound then they are.
i thought the wrestler was good but a bit overrated. mickey o'rourke was great as usual, but he's always good in those kinds of roles. the other characters just didn't get developed enough to want to care about them.
yeah back in the day i thought it pervy of woody allen to be in a relationship with his step daughter. humiliating for mia farrow too. still, woody allen and soon yi are still together, yes? at least there's committment. oh, and the young girl/older guy thing goes back to the beginning of time. not that it m
akes the whole thing right, but like tad says, who knows what's going on in their minds and behind the scenes?
I don't know. Reforms? I don't think the theocracy is capable of enacting reforms. We need to find out if anyone is supporting this outside the urban elite. I have heard nothing about the country side. The part that complicates this uprising is the poor masses may not be on board at all. If they are not, the army will remain loyal. The question is, will the government dare slaughter the middle class while the whole world watches via the internet.
You have to admire the protestors in Iran. They're standing up to a tyrant (the Ayatollah) who has dictatorial powers over virtually all aspects of their life. The protestors know this might end in a bloody crackdown, but they continue on. The protestors are clearly the future of Iran. They might be beaten down now, but the Ayatollah isn't winning the argument in the long-run. Western reforms are coming, sooner or later.
Gkhan.....what is your take on Iran. Respectfully requesting your analysis.
Really? Yeah....agreed....there is a difference there....I always heard it was when she was a teenager.
Mia Farrow discovered the affair in 1992, when Soon-Yi was 21, and apparently it had been going on for several months, which means she would have been 20 (at the youngest) when the affair started. She definitely wasn't 16. I'm not defending the affair, but let's at least get the facts straight. There's a big difference between 16 and 20 (or 21), obviously.
Look dude, I'm a pervert myself. I almost get into car accidents everyday sticking my head out of my truck looking at chicks. Streetgang sometimes literally talks to himself out loud when he sees something he likes. Hell, one of the reasons I'm not a cheater is because I simply keep myself out of any situation where it could occur. That and I'm a big ugly mofo, these days.
So, for the most part, I don't judge people's mistakes all that much. But I draw the line with kids. If you don't have the restraint to back off a 16 year old, you're just a sick bastard. Make that 16 year old your step daughter, and you need your head kicked in. Woody Allen never paid for something I deem is heinous. The other examples you bring up were all between consulting adults.
And agreed, The Wrestler was a great movie. Mickey Rourke should have won the Oscar for Best Actor.
Sheebs, I can understand how you feel about Woody. But none of us really *know* what's going on in any of these celebrities private lives. Woody's private life got laid out in public, so we know about him. But just because somebody has a squeaky clean image, it doesn't mean that's really what they're like in private.
Look at Rock Hudson....he had the image of an All-American boy. Bill Cosby was Mr. Family, and it turns out he was having an affair and a child out-of-wedlock. Elliot Spitzer, the disgraced former NY governor, ran on a platform of crime busting and morality, and it turns out he was spending $5000 a night on prostitutes for years. So you never know....you can't go by somebody's pubic image, unfortunately.
We've discussed this before, but Woody Allen films are banned in our house re: Mr. McPerve's affair with his step-daughter etc. - ewww. Amen to what Chuck said. If it were anyone outside of Celebrity World the person would be in prison. I have to say that I sneaked Vicky Cristina Barcelona on demand and watched it. It was ok. I haven't seen his other movies. Saw Hannah and her Sisters on stage.
Kind of weird that the most real feeling movie of '08 was about a professional wrestler. I thought the movie was going to be all Hallmark like. I was wrong. Mickey Rourke plays it perfect. And the story never veers away from the truth. Two thumbs up for The Wrestler.
My sisters both say the same thing about Woody Allen.....they like his comedies from the early 70s, but after that (circa Annie Hall) he lost it. I come from the other school.....Annie Hall is where he started to get interesting (and not just silly). It's all what you like, obviously.
Chris, yeah that's the scene! There's like 100 things going on in that scene.
Match Point was one of Woody's better recent dramas, I agree.
I didn’t mind Woody Allen’s old, weird movies from the 70’s. Everything since then has sucked.
As for his crime, that would depend on the state. The man seduced his 16 year old step daughter. Legal or not, if Woody was a normal person he would’ve been ostracized. Woody is Mr. Eccentric New York Jewish comedian so he can get away with creepy crap like that. If it was Donnie the drywall guy, he would’ve received a deserved ass beating at the pub and blacklisted in the neighborhood. Woody goes on to make millions.
hey sheebs -that'd be great. i was about to buy one at a garage sale here for $1 but another couple swooped in as i was parking my bike and snagged it.
i love woody allen's movies. i remembmer that scene you're talking about TAD -- hysterical, when he's holding the record cover and makes a motion and the record flies across the room. Also, Matchpoint is one of the better movies of recent years too. great plot, good acting, scenic London.
ckb & Rachy, I have a really well built sturdy baby backpack that would be perfect for King A - should I bring it to Bear Lake so you can hike/trek with him? He'll be able to easily survey all the land from his perch atop your back!
Binzamom, I'm a big Woody fan too. I've seen almost all of his movies, and my favorites are "Hannah and Her Sisters" (which has the perfect blend of drama and comedy in the same movie), "Manhattan," and "Crimes and Misdemeanors." But I can watch any Woody movie (even his clunkers) and find something worthwhile in it, if nothing else just for the witty dialog.
To this day, I've never laughed more in my life than during a scene of Woody's "Play It Again Sam," where he meets a woman in his apartment and he's trying to impress her.
And even though I'm a big Woody fan, I can understand people who don't like him because of his shady personal life. While he didn't do anything technically illegal, he was a snake toward Mia Farrow and the way he humiliated her is really unforgivable.
Tad, being a Woody Allen fan, I'm looking forward to seeing "Whatever Works." My only regret is that Woody himself is not in it. I loved his movies "Hannah and her Sisters," "Zelig", and one of the most hilarious was his early "Take the Money and Run." The opening scene of him trying to play with his marching band playing the cello!! Priceless. He's a genious of a filmmaker but GKhan can't stand him because of his personal behavior.
The new Woody Allen movie ("Whatever Works") with Larry David is getting mediocre reviews. Apparently one of the problems is that Woody actually wrote the script back in the 1970s, and it doesn't translate well into 2009.
For any Woody fans out there who haven't seen it, rent "Melinda and Melinda" sometime. It came out 2 years ago, but I think it's the best movie he's done since Crimes & Misdemeanors (his last really good movie) from back in the early 90s. "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" was pretty good too.
Streetgang: I saw that exchange between the General and Babs Boxer on O'Reilly and it completely disgusted me.
I feel icky even using the word Senator in the same sentence as General! Props to you, Chuck! Boo rah!
"Could you say 'senator' instead of 'ma'am?' It's just a thing. I worked so hard to get that title."---Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to Brigadier General Michael Walsh during Senate hearing Tuesday, when he the general repeatedly said, "Yes, ma'am," and "No, ma'am,"
I worked so hard to GET that title????
You were elected, you elitist piece of garbage! Thats how you GOT that. It's not supposed to be some reward for hard work. What is with these politicians??????
These female elected democrats are the worst, too. Napoleon complex. Corrupt. Does the moron know that when a General is referring to you as ma'am or sir he is showing respect? To publicly embarrass him like that is crap.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w...h?
v=wNWto4xiCcw
a female andrew bird type
incredible video and event. One of the good things in 2009.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/
ne...id=a62_boqkurbI
I'm not sure I have the education to decipher what this means....
awesome
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