oldpenny16

Peace and safety to both of you.

flyzabit

It was about the Beirut Spring blog, written by a "Mustafa" from Tripoli, Lebanon. He seems to have learned American English, by accent and wording. The CNN tone was that such blogs are fomenting more violence and polarized opinions, but the actual short interview was not that polarized. It was just on, and is over now. It probably will be repeated tonight as CNN cycles through its newshour.

The pictures from Qana are heartbreaking. It is also being reported that the IDF will stop aerial attacks for two days, due to outcry over Qana.

May our forum stay focused on peace, reason, and safety of all concerned.

Cholula

Thanks, sportsgirl. Your post may have been edited out except for the thanks to BEYFlyer and Dovster. And the gratuitous thanks to the moderators.
Seriously, and getting back to the thanks to BEYFlyer and Dovster, I like to echo that thanks for their real-time reporting from the frontline. I think I speak for all FlyerTalkers when I say we owe them a debt of gratitude and thanks for putting a human face to this war. I'm not sure about the rest of you but the worst thing flying over my house the past few weeks has been a renegade crow. I can't honestly imagine having to deal with bombs, missiles and rockets on a daily basis.
This thread has quickly grown to the third most viewed thread in FlyerTalk's eight year history. Not an insignificant milestone when you consider that FlyerTalk is among the world's largest travel bulletin boards and certainly the most respected travel board.
Unfortunate circumstances have created that milestone. And we're not going to take this occasion to brag about it.
But what we will brag about is that this thread has showcased what is best about FlyerTalk. Not only are we the premier source for the best information on maximizing miles and points, we are also home to some of the closest personal relationships on the Internet. And I think the participants in this thread have shown this to the max.
Now returning you to the commentary as we await Dovster's and BEYFlyer's green lights once again.

flyzabit

Bey, we have one like that, too. Several historians and leaders have been attributed with the saying (or variations): "Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.", and even Kahlil Gibran and Cicero have similar quotes: http://www.unf.edu/~clifford/craft/what.htm and others.

In the 1800s, the Historian Alexis de Tocqueville stated ..."America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." He also wrote, "There are no great men without virtue; and there are no great nations--it may almost be added, there would be no society--without respect for right; for what is a union of rational intelligent beings who are held together only by the bond of force?"

mikey1003

Me too BEY and Dov!!!!

Dovster

Apparently that cessation of Israeli strikes has been extended to 48 hours and, de facto, includes most shelling (I hear now only the rare shot).

Naturally, I took advantage of the hiatus to try to further FlyerTalk's reputation as the "home to some of the closest personal relationships on the Internet."

To that end, I wrote the following Private Message:

I then sent copies of it to every woman who has posted on this thread.

The responses have been astounding! They included such terms as creep, sicko, restraining order, and I sincerely believe you are in need of serious psychiatric help.

There were, however, a few which raised my hopes.

"Don't wait," it said, "fly immediately to Paris."

Unfortunately, it wasn't sent by CDG1 but rather by aucarol in Alabama.

cbalaska, in FLL, advised me to visit in the autumn, during the heart of the hurricane season, as "you will feel right at home alongside all the other blowhards."

Hello Kitty in Brooklyn suggested that I wait for her on the corner of Market and Freemont streets. That really made me optimistic -- until I discovered that they are located in San Francisco.

But perhaps the most disappointing reply of all was the one I got from Helena Handbasket:

"I have no objection to meeting you for a drink sometime, but as I told you in reply to 15 earlier PMs you sent me, despite my user handle I am a happily married man."

missy64

well my feelings are hurt...I guess i didn't make enough impression to get that quite lovely PM from DOV...oh well just seeing your green light makes my heart happy with joy.

Ever seen the lovely mountains of alaska

Dovster

Missy64, not only did you get that PM but I still have your reply in my inbox:

Please wait until December before arriving. I want to make certain that my huskies are in top condition to give me the fastest possible dogsled escape.

iburnett

I guess I didn't make the cut for the PM either , I figured the smallest state in the union wouldn't be a place for someone that has seen many parts of the world and is now perhaps as world famous as the "world famous pike place fish market". However I'm just happy with the fact that you made me laugh so hard(as your post often do) I got a belly acke and woke up a sound asleep child ^

Dovster

iburnett, it wasn't my fault! I tried sending you the PM but the FlyerTalk software sent me a note saying, "This message is undeliverable. We are unable to locate Rhode Island -- and we have looked in almost every parking lot in Texas!"

Dovster

I have to admit that I am enjoying posting on this thread today more than I ever have.

It is wonderful just to be able to swap jokes and not have to worry about rockets falling down.

Thisstinks

Hi Dovster,

I have to whole heartedly agree. The gravity of the situation, the horror of it all is a great burden whose weight diminishes the further away we are. Even though I am a great distance I feel some of the grief, anguish and hopelessness felt by you through you and BEYFlyer. Humor is good medicine and it is good you have a medicine cabinet full of it.

Now, about that comment you made about going out with my wife!

With our Lord’s blessings,

Doug

iburnett

Every minute YOU and BEY spend in the quiet, mundane sound of "peace and quiet" is an answer to prayer for all of us. We pray the minutes become hours, the hours days, the days months and that it lasts a lifetime.
Goodnight from the "smaller than a texan parking lot", but beautiful Ocean State .

BEYFlyer

Good day to you all from a now quiet Beirut. Before the IDF decided to stop their aerial bombing, they engaged in about 30 minutes of mock raids over the city of Beirut about an hour after my last post last night. Granted, they didn't fire any missiles, but those low-flying jets and that unmistakable sound of an approaching fighter jet sends shivers down your spine.

The 48-hour hault, though very much appreciated (just like that humanitarian link in our own country) is nothing more than an opportunity for the IDF to regroup, rethink and re-engage. So while Monday and Tuesday might be "quiet", I'm afraid Tuesday night/Wednesday morning is going to be the start of something grand. Oh joy...

Someone stop the world; I need to get off...

cblaisd

Dovster

Agree...and disagree.

I don't think the IDF needs to regroup and rethink. This hiatus was made for political reasons (the US needs to be able to show the world that it has influence in Israel) and not military ones.

As far as Tuesday night (from midnight our time) is concerned, I am certain that you are right.

The only thing that could stop it is Hizbollah announcing that it is moving out of South Lebanon and disarming -- and I don't see that as being in the cards without quite a bit more fighting.

BEYFlyer

The only thing that can stop this is if both sides agree to a cease fire. I don't see this happening anytime soon but I hope the events of the past 3 weeks (and the lack of progress on both sides) will prove otherwise.

Dovster

The easiest thing in the world to do is to get one side to agree to a ceasefire. Getting both sides to agree is a different story altogether.

I know that within 2 minutes I could draw up ceasefire terms that Hizbollah would happily accept. I could do the same with ceasefire terms that Israel would be thrilled with.

But ceasefire terms acceptable to both sides? I am afraid that will only be possible when one side has achieved its objectives and the other side has been too badly damaged to be able to continue fighting. (Or, as happened in the Iraq-Iran war, when both sides have been damaged too badly.)

I don't claim that this is an optimistic outlook -- just a realistic one.

V.G.E.

Arrgh, Dovster - you got somethin' against grannies????
Where's myPN?
(Sobbing into my hankie ...)

Best wishes,
V.G.E.

BEYFlyer

Well, I hope the time frame of 10 - 14 days requested by P.M. Olmert is sufficient to achieve "Israel's objectives"... But somehow I feel that that time frame will pass too and he will simply put in a request for another 10 - 14 days.

Eventually, I think the U.S. is going to be forced to exert its pressure on Israel and will finally move it towards a permanent cease fire. Lebanon has clearly stated that no negotiations until an unconditional cease fire is reached. I think that was made very clear yesterday. Let's hope that cease fire happens soon... Just my point of view on the current situation...