Happy Birthday to Tom
Today the love of my life officially becomes 38-years-old. And, so far, we have celebrated in high style! At 10:30 last night, Vaughan woke up because the earache he had been complaining of that afternoon had progressed to a pain in his jaw whenever he opened his mouth.
Are you all thinking what I'm thinking?
Why do kids always, always get sick on weekends or late at night? Mine waited until late at night on a weekend.
So, we trucked off to the Emergency room and, after an hour and a half, the doctor pronounced what I already knew. Unfortunately, pharmacists tend not to take my word for it and still require a doctor's prescription. Vaughan has an ear infection. He has Amoxicilyn to take three times a day and some Benzocaine ear drops that he can have about six times a day for the pain. What a little trooper. He's sitting upstairs right now with cotton stuck in one ear (the putting in of which causes him no small amount of discomfort) watching Barney and eating his Honey Nut Cheerios so that the antibiotic won't make him feel nauseous. Can you believe that he woke me up at 7:45 this morning - even after going to bed after midnight...ugh.
The birthday boy gets to sleep in, since it is his birthday afterall. Vaughan and I have some presents for him when he wakes up. We were going to bake him a cake, but I think we'll take him out for dinner instead. We're still working out our new family schedule, and it has been a hectic week. It still works out to bigger fanfare than I managed for my own birthday a little while ago.
On a completely different, and only slightly more serious note, someone asked me a little while ago what the war in the Middle East is all about. After determining which war was being questioned - you know, the one that started centuries ago, the one that started after WWII, the one that started in the 80's, the one that started when Bush failed to find Osama Bin Laden, or this most recent bombing between Israel and Lebanon, I offered my not-so-humble take on the whole thing. And now, fortunate readers, I share it with you...
Hezbollah kidnapped three Israeli soldiers and made some rather ridiculous demands for their safe return. In what amounts to the over-reaction of the century, Israel decided to bomb the crap out of Lebanon, where Hezbollah tends to hang out. Initially, Israel insisted that they would continue to bomb innocent civilians ('cause the only good Arab is one that's dead, right?) until Hezbollah dismantled and faced justice. They have since modified this stance, demanding only a significant change to the existing order and security for Israel. A wonderfully vague, almost bush-ian approach to war if ever there was one.
Most international leaders have, if not outright condemned, than, at least, sharply criticized Israel's actions. Yes, yes, both Bush and, I am mortified to admit, Stephen Harper are defending Israel. Certainly, Israel has a right to defend itself. That is not the point. It should be fairly obvious to any thinking individual that Israel was just itching for a reason to start this fight, and it has no clear objective, nor any reasonable way out. One might have hoped that Israeli leaders would have learned a lesson from the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq, but alas, no.
Look, this is ultimately the responsibility of the Western geniuses who carved countries out of the Middle East with no regard to current residents and centuries-old tribal conflict. You can't just give land to any one group of people if it is already inhabited by another group of people just to accomodate your own guilt and impotence. And if I hear one more time that there is no such thing as a Palestinian, I might have to slap someone. Palestine was a Syrian territory dating back to ancient times. However, what's done is done. Here's what we do now...
The US has to stop paying 20% of Israel's defense budget. If it wants to be a coutry, than it must stand on its own. In fact, stop pouring money and weapons into the Middle East period. Yes, they will fight. They're fighting now. No one is ever going to win if we keep evening the odds. And if no one wins, the freakin' fight will never end. Get it?? As unpleasant as this may be, someone has to win eventually if peace is to be achieved. Look at Korea boys and girls. Should we man another DMZ for the rest of eternity? Oh how I wish more people studied history.
Happy Birthday Tommy!
And happy August 12 everyone.
Are you all thinking what I'm thinking?
Why do kids always, always get sick on weekends or late at night? Mine waited until late at night on a weekend.
So, we trucked off to the Emergency room and, after an hour and a half, the doctor pronounced what I already knew. Unfortunately, pharmacists tend not to take my word for it and still require a doctor's prescription. Vaughan has an ear infection. He has Amoxicilyn to take three times a day and some Benzocaine ear drops that he can have about six times a day for the pain. What a little trooper. He's sitting upstairs right now with cotton stuck in one ear (the putting in of which causes him no small amount of discomfort) watching Barney and eating his Honey Nut Cheerios so that the antibiotic won't make him feel nauseous. Can you believe that he woke me up at 7:45 this morning - even after going to bed after midnight...ugh.
The birthday boy gets to sleep in, since it is his birthday afterall. Vaughan and I have some presents for him when he wakes up. We were going to bake him a cake, but I think we'll take him out for dinner instead. We're still working out our new family schedule, and it has been a hectic week. It still works out to bigger fanfare than I managed for my own birthday a little while ago.
On a completely different, and only slightly more serious note, someone asked me a little while ago what the war in the Middle East is all about. After determining which war was being questioned - you know, the one that started centuries ago, the one that started after WWII, the one that started in the 80's, the one that started when Bush failed to find Osama Bin Laden, or this most recent bombing between Israel and Lebanon, I offered my not-so-humble take on the whole thing. And now, fortunate readers, I share it with you...
Hezbollah kidnapped three Israeli soldiers and made some rather ridiculous demands for their safe return. In what amounts to the over-reaction of the century, Israel decided to bomb the crap out of Lebanon, where Hezbollah tends to hang out. Initially, Israel insisted that they would continue to bomb innocent civilians ('cause the only good Arab is one that's dead, right?) until Hezbollah dismantled and faced justice. They have since modified this stance, demanding only a significant change to the existing order and security for Israel. A wonderfully vague, almost bush-ian approach to war if ever there was one.
Most international leaders have, if not outright condemned, than, at least, sharply criticized Israel's actions. Yes, yes, both Bush and, I am mortified to admit, Stephen Harper are defending Israel. Certainly, Israel has a right to defend itself. That is not the point. It should be fairly obvious to any thinking individual that Israel was just itching for a reason to start this fight, and it has no clear objective, nor any reasonable way out. One might have hoped that Israeli leaders would have learned a lesson from the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq, but alas, no.
Look, this is ultimately the responsibility of the Western geniuses who carved countries out of the Middle East with no regard to current residents and centuries-old tribal conflict. You can't just give land to any one group of people if it is already inhabited by another group of people just to accomodate your own guilt and impotence. And if I hear one more time that there is no such thing as a Palestinian, I might have to slap someone. Palestine was a Syrian territory dating back to ancient times. However, what's done is done. Here's what we do now...
The US has to stop paying 20% of Israel's defense budget. If it wants to be a coutry, than it must stand on its own. In fact, stop pouring money and weapons into the Middle East period. Yes, they will fight. They're fighting now. No one is ever going to win if we keep evening the odds. And if no one wins, the freakin' fight will never end. Get it?? As unpleasant as this may be, someone has to win eventually if peace is to be achieved. Look at Korea boys and girls. Should we man another DMZ for the rest of eternity? Oh how I wish more people studied history.
Happy Birthday Tommy!
And happy August 12 everyone.
Willowmist
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Reader Comments (2)
Hope you feel better soon Vaughan and you too Dee.
Thought you might find this of interest. A girlfriend from work (Nada)whom happens to be Lebanese and most of her family still lives in Lebanon (in Beirut) was telling me alittle bit about the fighting. She says that the Hezbollah (which is the Lebanese militia)and the Israelis have been kidnapping and swapping soldiers for a very long time. Usually a prisoner for prisoner exchange. But apparently this time one side (I can't remember which one) said no to this arrangement and bombed them instead.
Anyway, at this point it doesn't really matter to her. She is very worried about her parents, brothers and sister. They live very close to the "conflict". Her brothers and sister have had to go stay with their parents as they live alittle further away. She says they can hear the bombs and aircraft all of the time.
Secondly, Israel holds thousands of Lebanese and/or other Arab prisoners, making the taking of two or three Israelis pale somewhat by comparison.
It might be interesting to note that an invasion of Lebanon was on the list of topics at a May 23 meeting between Bush and Olmert. Odd, when the 'unprovoked' attack by Hezbollah didn't happen until July. Could Bush be psychic? Find the whole story HERE.