Segacs’s World I Know

Yes, sadly, the dream ended for the Habs tonight in a 3-1 loss to the Lightning, completing their sweep in 4 games.

*Sigh*.

I couldn’t bear to watch. I think it’s almost better that I didn’t. It would’ve been nice to at least win one game, but after Tuesday I think we all pretty much knew it was over, and so why postpone the inevitable?

There’s always next season… we hope.

16 FRIGGIN’ SECONDS!!!!!!

Gotta give him props for this one: Russell Crowe has pledged aid to Talmud Torah in the wake of the firebombing. Apparently the movie star, who was filming in Toronto, heard about the hate crime and phoned the principal of the school to lend his support:

Tough guy actor Russell Crowe was so upset by a fire-bombing at a Jewish elementary school in Montreal, he called the school to offer a donation to help rebuild its library, a school spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

[ . . . ]

“He said he was very upset about what had happened that a place of learning should be attacked that way,” Paris said.

“He wanted to make sure that our students knew that he was thinking about them and that he was very upset about the fire-bombing,” Paris said.

I was starting to think that there were no Hollywood actors left with any kind of a conscience. Even if it was a publicity stunt, this is refreshing.

Today is Yom Ha’Atzmaut – Israeli Independence Day.

In Israel and in Jewish communities around the world, the blue and white will be displayed prominently as everyone celebrates.

For the first time this year, I unfortunately won’t be able to make it to the Israel Solidarity Rally taking place this morning in Montreal. Work obligations, you know. It’s disappointing because the last couple of years were incredible, and I would’ve liked to go today. If you’re reading this and would like to go, there’s still time – it’s starting at 11am at Phillips Square, and there are free busses from all the major departure points.

In the meantime, I’d like to share the words of President Moshe Katsav on the occasion of the 56th Yom Ha’Atzmaut:

Message to the Jewish Communities from the President of the state of Israel Mr. Moshe Katsav on the Occasion of the state of Israel’s 56th Independence Day

Dear Friends,

On the 56th anniversary of the State of Israel, we are proud of our achievements, despite the difficulties and the obstacles which the Jewish State has faced. The State of Israel is a leading country in the fields of science, technology, medicine and agriculture and we serve as an example to many nations. Israel’s democracy is strong. We have absorbed millions of new immigrants from all over the world, some of whom arrived without any possessions, and we provided all with housing, education, social security and health care. The citizens of Israel still suffer from brutal terrorism, but Israeli society maintains its strength and vitality and the State of Israel continues to flourish as a modern, Jewish and democratic country.

The security situation in Israel, along with global macroeconomic fluctuations, has been detrimental to Israel’s economy in the last few years. However, we are already witnessing signs of recovery. Israel’s economy is based on strong foundations which will lead to growth. We have undertaken to protect the weaker strata of society, as befits the values of a well-ordered state.

I feel greater unity among the Jewish people in Israel. I sense the solidarity of the Jewish communities abroad toward Israel. The numerous visits of community leaders and representatives and those of young Jewish students, strengthen us and enrich the relations between us and the mutual dialogue which characterizes the relations between Israel and the Jewish People in the Diaspora.

Fifty-six years after the regaining of Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel, despite the anger, disappointments and frustration of the last years, Israeli society remains united, determined and full of belief in our ongoing search for a just peace with our neighbors.

I wish the Jewish people in Israel and the Diaspora a happy Independence Day on which we look forward to the continued realization of the sovereign aims of the State of Israel and the realization of the dreams and prayers of the Jewish People in every generation.

I will be proudly singing Hatikva and wearing blue and white today. With so much to mourn, it’s all the more necessary to celebrate.

Update: Shai has a great list of 56 things that give Israel its unique character (via Harry).

. . . was nice.

I headed down there over the weekend, and I managed to squeeze some city exploring in between the business I had to do. It’s been a number of years since my last visit, and I can’t get over how much the city has changed. Not just the conspicuous absence of a couple of towers. But also how much more patriotic everyone seems. And how clean the city is in general, compared to what I remember from my last time there. Still expensive though. That hasn’t changed.

At any rate, I missed a bunch of news over the weekend, and rather than play catch-up, I’ll post a few links:

Allison, Lynn, and Harry commemorate Yom HaZikaron. Barry has been all over the North Korean train crash story. David weighs in on the abortion debate. And Meryl tries to take back the F-word from the nutbags. (In case you’re wondering, the F-word in question is feminism.)

In other news, seems like the only Habs fan cheering these days is none other than Vinny Lecavalier. *Sigh*.

I’ll be out of town for the next couple of days. Blogging to resume after the weekend. Have a good one, everybody.

Excuse me for not putting too much stock in these supposedly-independent impact reports that say that tax bills would go up in the event of a demerger. After all, these are the same folks who published reports swearing that tax bills would go down because of the merger.

Good television is becoming less of a reality and more of a myth. In my quest to avoid “reality” T.V. and other such crap, I’ve found I’ve been spending a lot less time in front of the small screen. There’s just nothing worth watching anymore.

This season, the saddest story has been the demise of The West Wing which, once upon a time, was one of the best shows on television.

It was already in trouble last season. But since Sorkin’s departure, the show has taken a steady plunge into crapville. Oh, I still watch, but more out of habit and wistfulness than genuine interest.

C.J. Cregg, who was one of the more refershing characters on television, has turned into a whiny, holier-than-thou crusader for nonsense causes she understands nothing about. Josh can’t seem to rise above petty snivelling and royal screwups. Leo has turned into a complete and utter cynic. And nothing that President Bartlet has said in the last year has amused or moved me in any way.

It’s a real shame, cause the show was so good. It makes me want to cry. Where has all the good T.V. gone?

Bush’s cozying up to Israel in the last couple of weeks came to a peak today, when he said that the world should thank Ariel Sharon for proposing a unilateral withdrawal from Gaza and most of the West Bank:

President Bush on Wednesday rejected international condemnation of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and said world leaders owed him a “thank you” for his plans for the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Bush blasted the Palestinian leadership as having “failed the people, year after year after year” by not preventing terrorism against the Jewish state.

Many pro-Israel bloggers, like LGF and Damian Penny, are commending Bush for having the guts to speak the truth. And I certainly won’t argue the veracity of Bush’s statements.

But the cynic in me notes two facts: 1) The Israelis aren’t exactly impressed and 2) it’s an election year.

Israel is skeptical. The tiny country has learned the hard way that relying on your friends – even your best friends – can only take you so far. Sooner or later they all turn on you and you have to be able to rely on yourself. Bush is only a friend to Israel as long as it’s politically savvy to be one.

And in an election year, Bush has no doubt calculated that his core base of the religious right is staunchly pro-Zionist. And he may even be thinking that some of the votes he’ll lose to Kerry over the Iraq war might be recouped by stealing some of the traditionally-Democratic Jewish votes, though this is less likely (despite what the conspiracy freakazoids will tell you) because, well, the Jewish vote isn’t that big and most of them will vote Democrat anyway.

In any case, the battle lines were drawn a long time ago, but now they’re digging in at the trenches. The U.S. and Israel are lined up against – well – pretty much everyone. The United States is a great friend to Israel but at the same time, the pariah status that Israel has enjoyed is now also shared by Bush and his government.

This just brings to mind the strange bedfellows caution: be careful who you get too close to. Despite Bush’s recent statements, Sharon isn’t exactly going to win any popularity polls in the Arab world, or even in Europe. And, for that matter, neither is Bush. For the enemies of the U.S. and Israel, this is just the same old song. If Israel wants to score some points in world opinion, it needs the endorsement of more than just the United States.