Instead of an original article, I decided to post an open letter, by the late Rabbi Meir Kahane. It was written sometime in the late 1980's and unfortunately, still rings true today. The letter, titled "Dear World," is one of the most rational and poignant writings I have ever come across regarding the Middle East problems.

I'd like to thank Rabbi Tzali Freedman for forwarding this piece to me.

As always, the article can be read on my website.

I urge everyone to read it.

So, French and German government officials say they will not significantly increase military assistance in Iraq even if John Kerry is elected.

This is a surprise???

While Kerry continues to insult the nations that support the U.S. led coalition in Iraq, and in fact insult the interim Iraqi president himself, even his "staunchest" allies prove that he has nothing to offer.

John Kerry is a disturbing phenomenon. He only won the nomination because the Democratic Party ran scared, after Howard Dean's internet campaign took off. Faced with the possibility of a Dean nomination, the party went for "electability".

What a mistake that was. As much as I thought Dean was a weak candidate, at least he was true to his liberal beliefs.

And what of Al Gore? Here's a guy who may well have been elected. With Bush's popularity waning, Gore should have been able to capitalize on this opportunity. He was clearly admired enough to win the 2000 popular vote.

But true to the recent history of the Democratic Party, Gore destroyed his own chances by taking the low road in the aftermath of the election. Gore's meltdown took him from his party's penthouse to it's outhouse. The most that can be said of Gore now is that his timing really stinks. From the disaster that was the Dean endorsement to his New York speech about global warming - on the coldest day in many years - he emulates the description Abba Eban said about Yasir Arafat, that "he never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity."

Now the Dems are stuck with John Kerry.

If even the French won't help him, why should anyone else?

Baker Street
Gerry Rafferty

Winding your way down on Baker Street
Lite in your head, and dead on your feet
Well another crazy day, you drink the night away
And forget about everything

This city desert makes you feel so cold
It's got so many people but it's got no soul
And it's taken you so long to find out you were wrong
When you thought it held everything

You used to think that it was so easy
You used to say that it was so easy
But you're tryin, you're tryin now
Another year and then you'd be happy
Just one more year and then you'd be happy
But you're cryin', you're cryin now

Way down the street there's a light in his place
You open the door, he's got that look on his face
And he asks you where you've been, you tell him who you've seen
And you talk about anything

He's got this dream about buying some land
He's gonna give up the booze and the one night stands
And then he'll settle down, to a quiet little town
And forget about everything

But you know he'll always keep moving
You know he's never gonna stop moving
Cause he's rolling, he's the rolling stone
And when you wake up it's a new morning
The sun is shining, it's a new morning
And you're going, you're going home

I just posted my latest article, "The 'Black Eye' of the Storm" on my website. I'm getting fed up with the unbelievable bias shown by the American news media. I expect that kind of behavior from third-world countries, not the U.S.

It's shameful and it's been going on, unchecked, for far too long.

While my article was influenced by the scandal at CBS, every other network is to be blamed as well - including FOX.

I fear for the future of American news agencies if this does not end soon.

On another topic, congratulations to Jeff and Debbie Minsky on the birth of a baby girl. The child's name is Eliana (or Elianna TBD) Gabriella Minsky. Of course, since Deb is such a big Florida Gators fan, I am - of course - calling the baby "Smokey". That's the name of the Tennessee mascot. Of course everybody who's anybody knows that the Vols (Tennessee) beat the Gators this past weekend.

Unless something comes up (which it often does), I hope to publish my latest article tomorrow. I finished it tonight, but my editor (Renee) has to give it a thorough once-over. So, stay tuned.

Hey, how 'bout them Rangers? The took the first two of the series against the A's and are just 3 games back now. I still don't think they will win their division, but this team has shown a lot of heart and strength. They are also adept at chair throwing, but they're paying the price for that one.

I heard about the Italian woman who was killed by a falling 7ft. Tall crucifix. Think there was a "message" involved there?

So, Yusuf Islam, aka Cat Stevens, was denied entry into the US. Customs officials said that he was a security risk, but wouldn't elaborate. I think the security detail at the airport just didn't want to expose the country to another version of "Moonshadow".

Jimmy Swaggart said that he would kill any man who looked at him in a sexual manner. Earth to Jimmy - I can't imagine any man finding him even remotely appealing. Nor any woman, for that matter.

I see that remnants of Hurricane Ivan have come back around and are now threatening the western Gulf coast as Tropical Storm Ivan. To be honest, I don't ever recall a hurricane striking the same area twice. I know that there have been storms that have hit one place, strengthened and moved back in to another location (Hurricane Andrew comes to mind), but to move through the country, break apart, reform and strike basically the same area again? Unbelievable.

One last thing...I saw that in Berlin, a German telecommunications company is developing a cell phone that warns the user if they have bad breath or just stink (true story!).

I would make a French joke, but I have a friend who lives there so I won't.

The company wants to distribute it in the U.S., but had to cancel their plans when it was learned the American distributer was based in Newark. Apparently, they couldn't get the phones to stop beeping.

Baddump-bum.

It was very nice to see CBS apologize for their "mistake" (their quotes, not mine) of broadcasting the fraudulent documents critical of President Bush.

Y'think they'd have done it if no one complained?

There are those who feel Dan Rather should be fired for this. I disagree. Perhaps heads should roll at CBS, but Rather was duped. Sure, he has shown nothing but contempt for the President over the years, but he's just the messenger.

I'm not a fan of Dan Rather, but I don't think he should be fired over this.

Vincent
Don McLean

Starry, starry night, paint your palette blue and gray,
Look out on a summer’s day with eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills, sketch the trees and daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land.

Now, I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen. They did not know how.
Perhaps, they’ll listen now.

Starry, starry night, flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violent haze, reflecting Vincent’s eyes that shine of blue,
Colors changing hue, morning fields of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen. They did not know how.
Perhaps, they’ll listen now.

For they could not love you but still your love was true.
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life as lovers often do.
But, I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.

Starry, starry night, portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless heads on nameless walls with eyes that watch the world and can’t forget.
Like the strangers that you’ve met
The ragged men in ragged clothes,The silver thorn, the bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.

Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen.
They’re not listening still.
Perhaps, they never will.

I just posted my latest article, "The Folly of the 'Faux'”, on my website (www.shaynezucker.com). For those of you who aren't Jewish, the subject matter may be a bit confusing. However, after hearing about the new trend, a "faux-Mitzvah", I felt I needed to broach the subject.

Aside from the logical reason that I oppose these phony Bar Mitzvahs, the emptiness of many regular Bar Mitzvahs needs to be addressed as well.

As the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, arrives this week, it is the perfect time to re-examine the way we raise our children and the values we wish to install in to them.

May all of you have a sweet new year!

What a Fool Believes
The Doobie Brothers

He came from somewhere back in her long ago
The sentimental fool don't see
Tryin' hard to recreate
What had yet to be created once in her life

She musters a smile
For his nostalgic tale
Never coming near what he wanted to say
Only to realize
It never really was

She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go

But what a fool believes he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems to be
Is always better than nothing
And nothing at all keeps sending him...

Somewhere back in her long ago
Where he can still believe there's a place in her life
Someday, somewhere, she will return

She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go

But what a fool believes he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems to be
Is always better than nothing
There's nothing at all
But what a fool believes he sees...

I was strongly moved by Michelle Malkin's latest article, "Remember 9/11: Stop sanitizing the killers." I've been a fan of her writing for quite some time and consider her one of the finest. I've taken the liberty of posting her article here:

The third anniversary of Sept. 11 is upon us. We remain at war — and the media remain in denial. How many times have you picked up a newspaper and read about terrorist attacks perpetrated not by Muslim terrorists, but by generic "militants" or "guerrillas" or "rebels" or, as Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes noted the Pakistan Times called them, "activists"?

Contrast the media whitewashing of our Islamofascist enemies with the press coverage of the Waco, Texas, siege in 1993 — which constantly reminded us that David Koresh and his Branch Davidian followers were members of a "peculiar religious sect" (New York Times, March 3, 1993) and "a group of religious zealots with a known propensity for violence" (Washington Post, March 2, 1993) who were steeped in a "culture of Christian extremism" (San Francisco Chronicle, April 20, 1993).

A Nexis search of the terms "Branch Davidian" and "religious" and "cult" in The New York Times for the year 1993 yielded 151 hits. The vast majority of these references were in headlines and news articles, as opposed to editorials, letters or book reviews. A Nexis search of the terms "al Qaeda" and "religious" and "cult" in The New York Times for the year 2004 yielded just one article — a magazine piece in March.

The mainstream media pounded President Bush for trying to explain that the War on Terror is unwinnable in a conventional sense. The mainstream press itself proves the president's point every time its reporters disguise the deadly fanatical nature of our opponents in this global war. How are we to win a war against blood-spattered enemies whom our own free press continues to protect through politically correct sanitization?

It wasn't no-name militants or wayward guerrillas who have butchered, beheaded and slaughtered thousands of innocents over the last three years alone. Anniversary reality check:

In the name of Allah, Muslim terrorists in Russia stabbed babies to death, shot
toddlers in the back, forced children to eat rose petals and drink their own
urine, raped teenage girls, executed their teachers and blew themselves up in a
crowded school gymnasium. Death toll: 338.

In the name of Allah, Muslim terrorists in Spain detonated bombs on four commuter trains during Madrid's rush hour. Death toll: 190.

In the name of Allah, Muslim terrorists in Bali blew up a beach resort with an electronically triggered bomb at one bar and a car bomb hidden in a van at another nightclub filled with young Western tourists on holiday. Death toll: 202.

In the name of Allah, Muslim terrorists in Pakistan kidnapped and beheaded American journalist Daniel Pearl.

In the name of Allah, Muslim terrorists in Saudi Arabia kidnapped and beheaded American engineer Paul Johnson.

In the name of Allah, Muslim terrorists in Iraq kidnapped and beheaded American independent contractor Nick Berg.

In the name of Allah, Muslim terrorists in Iraq kidnapped and executed Italian security guard Fabrizio Quattrocchi.

In the name of Allah, Muslim terrorists in the Philippines kidnapped and killed American missionary Martin Burnham.

In the name of Allah, Muslim terrorists in Israel engineered near-simultaneous suicide attacks on two buses, killing at least 15 people.

In the name of Allah, Muslim terrorists in Morocco waged suicide bombing attacks in Casablanca.

In the name of Allah, Muslim terrorists in Turkey bombed synagogues and the British
consulate.

In the name of Allah, Muslim terrorists in America hijacked and incinerated three planes full of men, women and children, trapped pregnant women and firefighters in smoke-filled stairways, and forced office workers to leap 99 stories to their deaths after saying final prayers from the ledges of the World Trade Center on a peaceful September morning. Death toll: 3,000.

They tell us to "never forget." First, let's stop misremembering.

Right on, Michelle!

Been a long day, but I wanted to post my latest article before I went to bed. The title is "Bill Survives In Spite of Hillary(Care)," and can be found at at my website. As you may have guessed, I wrote this after hearing Hillary Clinton's statement to the press, the day before her husbands bypass operation. Take a look and let me know what y'all think,

Otherwise, Mike came into town and took us all out to dinner. It was great seeing him. Except for Rachel, the kids had not seen him since we left Dallas - over 2 years ago.

Speaking of that time, Thursday will mark the second anniversary of my own bypass (and begging of my coma). It's hard to believe it's been that long. Hopefully, when I finally have the hernia removed in October, I'll start to feel whole again.

Otherwise, everyday brings in a new challenge. Some good, some not. But as Roseanne Rosanadana used to say, "It's always something!"

Stuck With You
Huey Lewis & The News

We've had some fun, and yes we've had our ups and downs
Been down that rocky road, but here we are, still around
Thought about someone else, but neither one took the bait
Thought about breaking up, but now we know it's much too late
We are bound by all the rest
Like the same phone number
All the same friends
And the same address

Yes, it's true, I'm happy to be stuck with you
Yes, it's true, I'm so happy to be stuck with you
Because I can see that you're happy to be stuck with me

We've had our doubts, but we never took them seriously
And we've had our ins and outs, but that's the way it's supposed to be
Thought about giving up, but we could never stay away
Thought about breaking up, but now we know it's much too late
And it's no great mystery
If we change our minds
Eventually, it's back to you and me

Yes, it's true, I'm happy to be stuck with you
Yes, it's true, I'm so happy to be stuck with you
Because I can see that you're happy to be stuck with me

We are bound by all the rest
Like the same phone number
All the same friendsAnd the same address

Yes, it's true, I'm happy to be stuck with you
Yes, it's true, I'm so happy to be stuck with you
Because I can see that you're happy to be stuck with me

I'm so happy to be stuck with you
I'm happy to be stuck with you
I'm happy to be stuck with you

Got an email from my friend, Ben Meltzer, today:

Just a note to let you know, and please let people on your list know, that last night my father passed away. I am going to be sitting shiva at my parents home in Atlanta and will be flying to Israel Sunday to bury my
father.

I will be back in Atlanta Wed. late afternoon.

Ben's father was an exceptional man. I remember him fondly from my trips to Atlanta years ago. It's never easy to lose a loved one and as experience has taught me, a guy losing his dad is exceptionally tough. My heart goes out to his mom, his brother, Jon and his sister, Dee. They are some of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure to know.

If you know him and would like to contact him, drop me a note at rshayne@sbcglobal.net.

Still no symptoms of the Shingles, so I am going to assume that it was just a 24-hour bug (with my suppressed immune system, it lasts at least 48-72 hours I guess). Thank you to all who sent me get well notes. I really appreciate it.

Now that chapter 7 is behind me, I can get back to writing my articles. I have a bunch of ideas and will probably write 2-3 next week. Stay tuned.

Well, I finally posted Part VII ("In My Life") of my transplant story on my website. It covers from my first rejection (yes, I know - I've been rejected lots of times - shut up) until our move to Chicago, in September 2003. I hope you enjoy it. It doesn't seem to be as boring as part 6, since I discuss a lot of traveling and the NY blackout.

Otherwise, I'm still waiting for my blood work results to come back. Although I'm still a little spacey (what else is new), I feel a bit better. Unless I start to show other symptoms of Shingles (breaking out in pox), the doc says I can get out and around by Saturday.

Although Elisha started school last week, the others started today (HOORAY!!!). Now that Renee has started working full-time, I have the apartment all to myself. Ahhhhhh. Unfortunately, I no longer have an excuse for the place being a mess.

I officially became old the other day. My oldest, Rachel, became a teenager. Truth is, she started acting like one 4 years ago, but now it's official. For those of you who read the comic strip, "Zits", understand that Rachel and Jeremy share a brain.

Of course my "friend," Nachie, always told me that if I had even "half a brain", I'd be dangerous. But, I digress.

Let me know what you think of this latest installment. I will probably write one more chapter, before I'm done. I don't really want to be writing about things that have just happened, so part 8 will only cover up to the beginning of this past summer (unless I change my mind!)