New insights in the history of the ancient Near East

[Jona Lendering]

This explains everything! :wink:

[Narukami]

Does it ever.

hock: :lol: hock:

I wonder where Titus really was in 70?

Narukami

[M. Demetrius]

He was on the Gaullish Riviera, drinking mulsum with a couple of fine looking ladies. Emperorship has its privileges, after all. :lol:

[Jona Lendering]

I wonder where Titus really was in 70?

If I recall correctly, there is a town called Jerusalem in Texas, so it is obvious that the Romans attacked the USA, and not the poor Jews, who did not even have a Jerusalem, as we now understand. :wink:

[M. Demetrius]

Nope, not it Texas, but there are evidently TEN Jerusalems in the US.

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?se ... x&zipcode=

With that many to choose from, he'd have been a busy boy, no?

hock:

[Narukami]

I see...

Well then that explains why Israel attacked Texas in 1999.

I read it in a book -- so it must be true.

http://www.pywrit.com/ebooks/sfs_z/Jake ... eliWar.jpg

Right...? :?

Narukami

[Jona Lendering]

And now I understand Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys!

[M. Demetrius]

Good thing this is on off-topic, isn't it?

Mr. Friedman evidently IS a serious candidate for governor of Texas, but I really don't think he'll win. He's in trouble right now for saying things negative against the refugees from Hurricane Katrina still in Houston over a year later, and similarly short-sighted comments, in my opinion. That kind of thing works fine in stand-up comedy routines, but I shudder to think about that sort of conversation in the Capitol. Yikes. Only Mayor Ralph Nagin can say things like that because he's -- well --

[Jona Lendering]

It's funny, dear David, that you point at precisely the things I was reading at this very moment. After I had posted the link you replied to, I thought it would be nice to read his points of view; I read several of his novels, know his music, even saw him perform in the Amsterdam Melkweg Theater, and generally like the guy.

And as you say, he appears to be serious and his proposals about energy, health insurance, and teacher's salaries sound great. And just when I thought "why the hell not", I read his remark on the Katherina victims, which I found rather tactless.

But in general, he appears to be sincere, and besides, "Ride 'em Jewboy" was for popular music what Art Spiegelman's Maus was for comic strip. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

[M. Demetrius]

But would you vote for him for Prime Minister? That's basically what a governor amounts to, sort of, in the US.

He's the head administrator and signs bills into law that are presented from the State Legislature, orders deployment of the National Guard and the State Guard, heads up disaster relief, helps decide how taxes are to be collected and spent, uses leverage to get things done in the legal and legislative branch, deals directly with the governors of the other 49 states, and for practical purposes is the Chief Executive of a state with around 24,000,000 people, no small responsibility. He is the direct government link to the President of the United States, also, frequently making trips to other countries for diplomatic junkets, etc.

Many people feel that experience in law, as an attorney, not a defendant, heh, and administration study at University level are good attributes for candidacy. Being able to sing and write and play an instrument are nice, but not really the best entries on a political resume. Other people say, "Why the hell not?". I guess we'll see come election day which is the larger group, eh? 1st Tuesday in November.

[Jona Lendering]

But would you vote for him for Prime Minister? That's basically what a governor amounts to, sort of, in the US.

Yep, you're right about that, and you're also right about the great responsibilities. I don't know if Kinky Friedman can rise to that level. On the other hand, over here in Holland, we used to have a political party that had been running the country longer than the Communists had ran the Soviet Union, and I was very delighted when iun 1994, for the first time since 1918, we had a government without them.

Anyhow - we must terminate this topic, because there's a risk of making it political, and I think we should avoid that.
:wink:

[Matt Lukes]

Good call Jona

[M. Demetrius]

Busted.

M. Dem slinks back into the shadowy forest, wrapping his dark grey paenula around his pudgy body as he stealthily disappears.