Ornithology, et al

Well, we certainly chose THE summer to be away from Holy Land Central (HLC), hmmm? I'll comment in a moment although being out of pocket while everything goes down evokes guilt feelings vis a vis adding my two cents. Despite keeping up with Hebrew and local English language press accounts, I'm not there to live it so commenting feels uncool. I'll contribute in a broader sense. But first, a word from our sponsor:

This ornithology business is good stuff. Watching the Finch Family - or White breasted Robin - is a daily event. A mere few weeks ago the wee ones hatched and are already on the brink of departing nest-dome. There are now four - one unfortunate fell to its death this week. Raph & I found the poor critter in the grass.

Wanna know how the parents teach them to fly? One stands slight out of reach of the babes who see the adult and begin chirping madly and flapping wings wildly in attempting to move closer. Partner #2, stationed nearby, flies to eye level and hovers, also flapping. Schoingemacht; A live demo.

Not flighty whatsoever is what's happening oer' there yonder in HLC. Remember back in 1999 when the U.S. led NATO force bombed China's embassy in Belgrade? If you do, then you remember that world events and the timing were extremely precarious and that U.S. relations with China, already tenuous, took a hit.

This sorta feels like that time. You have North Korea threatening South K. and Japan, Iran throwing rhetoric while shaking a nuclear fist in the background, the U.S. tied up militarily on two major fronts but implying they'd like to give Syria and Iran a thrashing and sanction N. Korea, S. Korea cutting food aid to the North after the latter storms out of talks and China and Russia sidling up together presenting a unified front not sympatico with U.S. interests (read: or Israel or Japan) anytime soon.

Meanwhile Israel's got two military operations going on with reserves being called up, and mouthpieces are broadly hinting for Syria, Lebanon and Iran to get it together or else. Throw in a Mumbai bombing and historical India/Pakistan tension and the nuclear threat inherent with any of the above-mentioned parties and WHEW! What a huge mess of a mess. The positive? Saudi Arabia publicly denounced Hizbollah.

Shabbat Shalom. Be safe.