I ate at a raamen shop the other day that had the biggest piece of gristle this side of Norway. I mean, it was huge. It sort of sat in the bowl of dashi and raamen like the proverbial 800-gorilla: I couldn't ignore it. Fortunately, the soup and the noodles were good so I could try to ignore it. But in the end I failed. I had to flip it unceremoniously into an overstuffed ashtray. The ambience of the place was one of hand-made two by fours so that might've been a clue as to the gristle to a more enquirying mind. But not mine. All-in-all the quantity was good, the quality was okay, but the gristle on the pork just, hmmm, tipped me over the edge. No more gristle, please.
Speaking of messing up your day by pretending not to see an 800-pound gorilla, what do Israel and Hizbullah (this is the Christian Science Monitor's spelling, not mine) think they're going to accomplish by killing babies? Does it help that the titular leader of the free world doesn't think Israel should stop? This is the same leader who taunted terrorists with "Bring it on." Of course Israel should stop! Of course Hizbullah should stop! They're killing children here. Children! And babies. I can't believe That Leader doesn't see the dead babies. Is he as isolated as Kim Il Jong?
By the way, I heard an Iranian woman talking about the time frame that some Islamic mullahs and others think. She said the West, especially the temporary leaders, think in terms of five to ten minutes. Maybe a year. But the past is the past. History, Henry Ford said, is bunk. She said some mullahs and other Moslems think in terms of centuries. For example, X happened in 1427, so I can't talk to you because your ancestors were on the other side. History, she said, is very much alive for these people. So, will our great-great grandchildren be sending their grandchildren off to Iraq and Afghanistan to protect democracy?
Speaking of messing up your day by pretending not to see an 800-pound gorilla, what do Israel and Hizbullah (this is the Christian Science Monitor's spelling, not mine) think they're going to accomplish by killing babies? Does it help that the titular leader of the free world doesn't think Israel should stop? This is the same leader who taunted terrorists with "Bring it on." Of course Israel should stop! Of course Hizbullah should stop! They're killing children here. Children! And babies. I can't believe That Leader doesn't see the dead babies. Is he as isolated as Kim Il Jong?
By the way, I heard an Iranian woman talking about the time frame that some Islamic mullahs and others think. She said the West, especially the temporary leaders, think in terms of five to ten minutes. Maybe a year. But the past is the past. History, Henry Ford said, is bunk. She said some mullahs and other Moslems think in terms of centuries. For example, X happened in 1427, so I can't talk to you because your ancestors were on the other side. History, she said, is very much alive for these people. So, will our great-great grandchildren be sending their grandchildren off to Iraq and Afghanistan to protect democracy?
Raamen for Peace
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