uOUR.com » Politics

Unfolding the Alexa Mystery!

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Is it essential for marketers to understand how Alexa ratings work? Are they important to the success of your e-business? Keep reading!

Alexa’s aim appears to be ranking every website on the internet, noting how much traffic each gets. The lower your Alexa ranking is, the more traffic your website, supposedly gets. The ideal situation would be if Alexa would rank you a number “1″. ( This could mean that your website gets more traffic than any other website in the world. )

In order to understand why the rankings can sometimes appear confusing, you’ll need to understand how Alexa gets the data it uses to create rankings. In brief, Alexa has a free toolbar that’s downloaded and installed, within an Internet browser. This reports back to Alexa, with details of every website you visit. It enables Alexa to use this information to see just how many users are visiting a given website.

The problem is that not every internet user has the Alexa toolbar installed. Estimates are used here. If you have a website that pulls in higher than average numbers of Alexa toolbar users, you’ll gain a lower Alexa rating. Could it be that Alexa doesn’t make allowances for their toolbar users visiting certain types of websites, more often? Yes, it can be confusing.

The question to ask yourself is this:

Why worry about having a low Alexa rating if you’re not making any sales? There are positives to the Alexa service so it can be worth your time to install the toolbar. The toolbar gives an idea of how busy and popular a website is. This can be helpful when deciding on e-purchases.

Don’t fully depend on Alexa as a measuring stick of how well your website is doing. Watch traffic numbers and sales conversion rates. Build your e-business for sales. Go ahead and take a look at Alexa. You just might decide to install the toolbar: http://www.alexa.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bill Vannot specializes in branding Businesses with articles, even if you can’t write! Find out what a Ghost Writer can do to help you brand your e-business identity!
http://www.flashyads.com/boohoo.html

What You Should Know About Medicare

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Medicare is the Federal health insurance program that is available to older people and to many of those with disabilities. Generally, a person is eligible for Medicare when turning age 65. In other instances, a person with a disability may be eligible, regardless of age.
There are two parts to Medicare: Part A and Part B. Inpatient hospital services, skilled nursing facility, home health care and hospice services are covered by Medicare Part A. Physician services, durable medical equipment, clinical diagnostic laboratory services, laboratory tests, X-rays, diabetes self-management, outpatient hospital services, ambulance services, outpatient mental health services, mammograms, pap smears, colon or prostate cancer screenings, flu and pneumonia shots, bone density measurement, and physical therapy are covered by Medicare Part B. Medicare generally does not cover preventive care services, private duty nursing, hospital room telephone or television, private hospital rooms, dental services, eyeglasses, chiropractic services, care outside of the U.S., acupuncture, hearing aids, long term or custodial care in nursing homes or most prescription drugs.
To qualify for Medicare, a person must meet at least one of the following:
(1)Be age 65 and eligible for Social Security or railroad retirement benefits,
(2)Have been receiving Social Security disability income for at least 24 months, or
(3)Have end stage renal (kidney) disease.
If one continues to work after age 65 or decides not to enroll for Social Security benefits at age 65, he/she may still receive Medicare benefits. Permanent legal aliens also qualify for Medicare when they have lived in the U.S. for at least five years or more continuously prior to eligibility date. They may also qualify when they are not eligible for Social Security benefits or railroad retirement benefits, but they usually will have to pay the premiums for Medicare Part A.
If one qualifies for Social Security or railroad retirement benefits, his or her Medicare enrollment is automatic. If one is not age 65, he/she may apply with the local Social Security office during the 7 month period that starts 3 months before their 65th birthday. When applying 3 months before turning 65, the Medicare coverage begins in the birthday month. When applying in the birthday month or during the 3 months following, coverage will be delayed for up to 3 more months. Enrollment may also be done between January 1 and March 31 of any year once becoming eligible, but there may be a penalty for late enrollment and an effective date of July 1.
If one has coverage with a group or business health plan, he/she may enroll any time while still working and if the employer has more than 20 employees. If one cancels group coverage while still working or retires, he/she is given a special 8 month enrollment period beginning when the group coverage ends. Be aware that when applying for a Medicare Supplement policy 6 months after Medicare Part B coverage is effective or after open enrollment ends, health questions would have to be answered on the application. Also, when one is covered with a group health plan and Medicare, as long as the employer has 20 or more employees one has the option of making the group health coverage primary and Medicare secondary.
If one is automatically eligible for Medicare Part A then there is no premium to pay. A premium is required for Medicare Part B. If one does not enroll in Medicare Part B when initially eligible, then there is a 10% premium penalty for each year of delayed enrollment.
Medicare options include original Medicare which comes direct from the Federal government, and Medicare PPO (preferred provider organization), Medicare PFFS (private fee-for-service plan), Medicare MSA (medical savings account plan), and Medicare HMO (health maintenance organization) or Medicare PSO (provider-sponsored organization) which are offered by private health plans. There are also special Medicare programs for people with low incomes of $4000 per individual or $6000 per couple not including a house or car. These programs are: QMB, SLMB, Q1-1, Q1-2, or Medicaid.
Over 80% of those eligible for Medicare select original Medicare. It is available everywhere in the U.S. and one is enrolled in it automatically when becoming eligible for Medicare. Just about any doctor or hospital may be used with original Medicare, and it pays providers and doctors directly for the services one receives. To fill in any gaps in the original Medicare coverage, a Medicare Supplement insurance plan may be purchased.
For more information, please contact Social Security at 1-800-722-1213 or log onto www.medicare.gov.

Editor of Poetry Market E-zine, Contributing Editor of Muse

5 Tips To Keep Happy … Even In Wartime

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The world is going downhill faster than an Olympic skier. Terrorists lurk around every corner. Climate change will soon melt the tundra and turn Iowa into a desert. Frankenstein foods are flooding the market, cleverly masquerading as innocent potatoes and beets.

And everybody is planning a war.

Sadam wants to unleash unspeakable biological evils. George Bush II wants to unleash unimaginable military might. Germany and France want to just unleash. North Korea … need I say more? India and Pakistan want to run a nuclear relay race, and worst of all we won’t even know who the good guys and bad guys are supposed to be. And I know why my Israeli friend moved back to New Jersey.

Just when we thought it was safe to sit back and take comfort in knowing exactly how bad things are, some fool has to come up with five tips to keep our spirits up in uncertain times. And that fool is me. So here are the tips:

1. Count your blessings. We have so much to be grateful for. Iraq’s dime store missiles cannot hit anywhere too important (defined more specifically as “where I live”). Then, of course, there is all the “stuff” we have, like the flush toilet (I would not want to have lived 500 years ago!) and the remote control. We can be grateful for all the variety, such as 32 flavors of ice cream on every corner and at least a dozen flavors of tooth floss. We can count our education, our knowledge and our opportunities. And we have soooo much more freedom than our ancestors. Geez, with all these blessings to count, it gets hard to enjoy living in terror of the big, bad world.

2. Smile at a stranger. If the world shows us a threatening face, why not paint that face with smiles to make it less threatening. Let’s face it, if I smile at you, you’ll smile back. The more I smile, the more people will smile at me. The more you smile, the more people will smile at you. If everybody follows my advice, at least dentists will be too busy to fear world events.

3. Learn a new skill. Imagine the sense of accomplishment and the power of mastering a new skill. Like mesquite cooking. Like whittling. Like pterodactyl breeding. Oh well, two out of three. And if you learn that skill in a classroom setting, full of other energized new-skill-masterers, you get the bonus of seeing that positive face of the world, complete with smiles and busy dentists.

4. Study history. Bad things happen. Good things happen. That’s history. Today will one day be history that somebody reads about. So don’t sweat it. (Editor’s note: If nobody is left to read about it, scratch this tip.)

5. Volunteer. One of the scariest things about the world today is not just that it seems to be going downhill, but that we feel powerless to stop it. Worse still, politicians and diplomats are in charge. But we CAN take control and send the world uphill right in our own neighborhood. We can help the local animal shelter. We can work at the food bank. (That’s my personal favorite, and NO you do NOT get free samples.) We can help little old ladies across the street. We can make a difference right in our own communities where the politicians and diplomats won’t interrupt.

Sorry about those five tips. If you wish to ignore them and return to the regularly-scheduled misery-wallowing, please go ahead. After all, in wartime nobody really wants to be happy, do they?

About the Author

David Leonhardt is the Happy Guy, even in wartime (he hopes!) and author of “Climb your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness”. Sign up for your free “Daily Dose of Happiness” at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html, or visit the Self-actualization Resource Center at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com/self-actualization-articles.html.

The reasons for my low self esteem

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I have had many confidence issues in my life, all of which I have either dealt with or overcome. I have written about some of these issues below.

1. The Bald Patch

2. My height

3. My weight

4. The stutter

5. My lack of belief in myself

6. My career

THE BALD PATCH

Even though to some people it may seem trivial, I was born with a bald patch the size of a ten pence piece. As I went through childhood and especially the teenage years I became more and more self-conscious and paranoid about it.

It was especially noticeable when it rained or when I went swimming as my hair would become wet. People at school would ridicule me and I was forever trying to hide and cover the bald patch even though most people knew about it.

It hurt when people laughed at me and eventually I stopped going swimming altogether.

MY HEIGHT

Out of all of my close male family and friends, I am the shortest at 5ft 4. This probably should not influence my confidence however with people continually looking down on me it did. I have been called many names, the nicest being

Hurricane Katrina

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Obviously, the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina has had a major impact on fuel supplies. The IRS is temporarily waiving regulations that ban the sale of certain diesel fuels to address shortages.

Dyed Diesel Fuel No Longer Banned

Diesel fuel comes in two general forms, clear and dyed. Dyed diesel is not environment friendly. Under laws passed by Congress, the IRS effectively bans the sale of dyed diesel fuel for use on highways. Put another way, the trucking industry must use clear diesel for transports.

In the wake of serious fuel shortage issues caused by Hurricane Katrina, the IRS is immediately waiving the tax penalties applicable to the use of dyed diesel on highways. This surprisingly quick policy decision is a reflection of exploding fuel prices and a stark lack of supply.

The order issued by the Commissioner of the IRS is only effective until September 15, 2005 at this time. It is anticipated that the Commissioner will extend this time period since it is clear the fuel issues will not be overcome by the deadline.

While the penalties associated with dyed diesel are waived, the IRS has chosen to keep a basic diesel fuel tax in place. All sales of dyed diesel fuel are subject to a 24.4 cent tax per gallon. Either the retailer or purchaser can pay. The IRS, however, has indicated that it will waive any penalties and interest assessments associated with failure to make bi-weekly deposits of the tax. In addition, users of dyed diesel fuel need not concern themselves with any EPA restrictions related to its use during this temporary waiver.

In Closing

Typically criticized for reacting slowly, the IRS should be commended for taking quick steps to free up fuel from a tax perspective. To support the trucking industry, let us hope the deadlines are extended well past September 15, 2005.

About The Author

Richard Chapo is with http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com – recovering overpaid business taxes for small businesses. Visit our article page – http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com/articles – to read more tax articles.

2 Moms and a War

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

“No mother would ever willingly sacrifice her sons for territorial gain, for economic advantage, for ideology.”
- Ronald Reagan

One would think that Reagan’s remarks left little room for a mother to tolerate the death of her son in a “war of choice”. Furthermore, based upon his words, one would think that he would wholeheartedly support the inquiries and protest of the mother of a soldier who died in a war based on malleable and questionable rationales.

One would think so… that is, if one chose to think.

For Reagan’s alleged “conservative” disciples, the opposite seems to be true. Because Cindy Sheehan has not accepted an illusory WMD threat, Bin Laden links, spreading freedom and an emancipation of women (Islamic fundamentalist style on both), or any of the other multiple reasons given her, and the country, for her son’s death in Iraq, they seem to feel that she has forfeited her right to speak and/or protest on the matter. It seems to be a clash of values between the “neo- cons” (new cons) and the old cons.

In support of their position, today’s “conservatives”, among other things, have said that she is/has:

“… hurting our troops and endangering our troops; an anti-Semite; hateful; in bed with the radical left; aligned herself with people who hate this country, hate this government; shamed her son by her comments; trying to pull a little bit of a swindle and been totally co-opted by the whole Michael Moore leftist mentality; exploiting death; engaging in Stalinist agitprop outside President Bush’s Crawford ranch; supported by hysterical paranoid ideologist[s] who have turned the “Camp Casey” protest into “Camp Fruitbat and Nutbag.”

And, as one of FOX’s Sans-A-Belt(way) Boys said, she’s “a crackpot”.

Such are the comments and “keen insight” offered by the most well-known and visible members of modern conservatism who believe in, among other things, “family values”, Christianity, Intelligent Design, Pat Robertson, the flag, prayer in schools, privatization of Social Security, Abu Ghraib style “hazing”, a $223 million “Bridge to Nowhere” in Alaska funded by the Transportation Bill, Supplemental (offline- therefore not counted in the budget) spending for an ongoing war, and are against, among other things, the obscenity that is a peek at Janet Jackson’s breast, the immorality of “Will and Grace”, and the “Communism/Socialism/Liberalism” of those that want to implement a living wage and Universal Health Care.

It seems, according to the media and highly paid pundits who know a thing or two about war (having successfully evaded it in their youth), that she’s the only mother truly questioning the war. Since they insist that her opinion has been proven worthless through the widely accepted methods of demonizing, guilt by association, and rumor, all of which were subsequently verified by relentless repetition, perhaps one should turn to the one mother painted with the “conservative” brush of all that is good about America- Barbara Bush.

She has not only raised one son who occupies the Oval Office, she is married to a man who once occupied the Oval Office himself. She also has another son who is Governor of a large state that helped get her son George into the position he currently occupies and from which the Iraq war was started. Just a “typical” mom. As such, surely her opinion on casualties is worth taking note of when discussing the war her son started and Cindy Sheehan’s son died in:

“But why should we hear about body bags, and deaths, and how many, what day it’s gonna happen, and how many this or what do you suppose? Or, I mean, it’s, it’s not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?”
- Barbara Bush, Good Morning America – March 18, 2003

So it’s the opinion of a “beautiful mind” that it should not be wasted on thoughts about body bags and deaths against the opinion of a tortured mind that answers are required for the body bags and deaths. “What… me worry?” versus “What is the reason?”

Since Cindy Sheehan’s voice is in direct competition with a phalanx of paid for professional barkers attempting to drown her out and consign her to irrelevancy, in the interests of fairness, one ahould take a look at what the sons say about the war and its casualties. George Bush’s own words on the subject are:

“…I think it’s also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life… I think the people want the president to be in a position to make good, crisp decisions and to stay healthy… and part of my being is to be outside exercising.”
- George Bush, vacationing in Crawford, Texas – August 13, 2005

Unfortunately, Casey Sheehan could not be reached for comment.

So it’s exercise and “getting on with life” against no exercise possible as there is no more life. “What.. me worry?” versus deathly silence.

The Bushes. Caring. Compassionate. “Real” Americans. Just “down home folks” (be it in Crawford, Kennebunkport, Camp David, or some Saudi King’s or Prince’s grand estate). The type of people worth having a beer with – after undergoing a thorough backgound check and subject to Secret Service approval.

As to the assault on Cindy Sheenan and her right to voice her opinion in any non-violent manner she chooses, the Administration and its backers seem to be attempting to prevail using their tired WWF-like verbal “smackdowns” in order to silence opposition and/or manufacture consent.

It is highly doubtful that either Casey Sheehan or the “Gipper” would stand for the silencing of anyone’s right to voice their opposition to this war. Especially the voice of a mother.

About the Author

A moderate to progressive look at politics in these radically regressive times.

Colin Powell`s “James Bond”

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Colin Powell is a good story teller!
“He hid the weapons of mass destruction in all sorts of odd places. But we saw him hide it. We took photographs. We recorded discussions. We saw his links with terrorists. It is the most evil empire on earth right now. And he must be stopped!”

This story-teller is not some fiction writer. Or some movie star from Hollywood, the entertainment capital of the world. And the scene is far removed from Frankenstein territory. But this story-teller is a former war general turned American Secretary of State named Colin Powell. The scene is the floor of the great United Nations, which some folks who have a bad sense of humor call Talking Nations. The major character of the story is Saddam Hussein. And the devilish empire is Iraq.

The high point of the JAMES BOND story is not the satellite photographs (after all where are the weapons?) nor is it the Al Qaeda connection (after all if you are not with us you are against us – by George Bush). But the most interesting point of the over one-hour speech at the Talking Nations, sorry United Nations, is the voice recording. For these

A Chat with Saddam

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

He never did say why he chose to call me, but for the past few months I have enjoyed some rather lively chats with Saddam. He said he has been wanting to speak to America and the rest of the world and he should only have to call one of us. He said he could have published his thoughts on the Internet, but he prefers the give and take of conversation. Our early conversations were personal enough, Saddam did not want them recorded or published, so I agreed to keep that between us. The transcript that follows is from a recent chat we had and Saddam requested I record and publish.

Ed: Hi Saddam, what is happening with you lately?

Saddam: Things are great! It is much less stressful living here in the U.S.

Ed: You’re kidding me, right?

Saddam: Maybe. Why does the idea surprise you?

Ed: Because U.S. security is so tight these days.

Saddam: Now it’s you who are kidding, right? Every day, dozens and sometimes a hundred poor people come into the U.S., uninvited. Don’t you read the papers or watch TV?

Ed: Good point! Aren’t you afraid of being seen?

Saddam: No. Over the past six months, I’ve had some excellent plastic surgery. I don’t look much like my old self, but I must say I have never looked this good. None of my old friends recognize me. I am living with some old friends now and I really don’t need to go out much and tempt fate. If you should see me with my friends, I’m the handsome Oriental man. Cute huh?

Ed: Clever, I’d say. Have you been listening to the news since you’ve been here?

Saddam: Of course! It’s really good for laughs.

Ed: This is true. So you have noticed that every day they talk about your weapons of mass destruction? Why can’t they find them?

Saddam: I sent them all to friends before the invasion; friends all over the world.

Ed: I was under the impression you didn’t have too many friends.

Saddam: It’s funny about impressions. If you have been following the news, you know the Americans and their friends come under attack nearly every day. There are just a few of my friends behind that. To be honest with you, I have never been so popular in the world.

Ed: Is that so?

Saddam: Yes. Most are new friends, since the Iraqi Freedom thing. I think it’s about ten million of them but I don’t want to boast. Did you ever hear that I am a very rich man? It’s true. I can buy anything I want, any time, any where. I can buy friends, weapons, cars, houses, anything. But I don’t have to buy friends and many of my friends would give me whatever I asked of them. Is that so hard to believe?

Ed: Not any more.

Saddam: To get back to WMDs. I mostly sent them where they would do the most good. Keeping them in Iraq would have been utterly pointless. It wasn’t about embarrassing the President and his aides or calling intelligence into question, although it has been great fun. It was just a simple strategic military move. Get them close to where I want them.

Ed: Did you ever get the nukes you wanted?

Saddam: Not the ones I originally wanted for my missiles. But I have bought quite a few neat little portable models. Osama split an order with me.

Ed: You’ve been talking with Osama? I thought you were enemies.

Saddam: Like I was saying, Operation Iraqi Freedom changed a lot of things. We will probably never sit and drink tea together, but our conversation has been cordial and productive. He doesn’t need half the funding that the frozen assets represent, but I told him I’m ready to contribute anything he doesn’t want traced. Did I tell you I am rich?

Ed: I believe you did. What does Osama think of your disguise?

Saddam: He thought it was clever. He asked if I’d send him my surgeon.

Ed: Did you?

Saddam: Yes. They met at a Swiss hospital a couple months ago. I asked him to send me a picture. He hasn’t sent one.

Ed: So how come you didn’t leave Iraq when President Bush said you could have safe passage out?

Saddam: He would have tried to kill me. And I’m not used to being told what to do. You understand. I thought it would be much safer if I waited a while and I thought it would be good to be seen by friends in Iraq. If I had left when the President suggested, it would have looked like I was a coward, a scared rabbit. Why would I want to do that? Friends needed my moral support and I wanted to give it – can’t just run out on my friends. Would President Bush do that?

Ed: Not on his special friends anyway. So what is Osama doing for you?

Saddam: You have heard that there are now members of Al Qaeda fighting in Iraq? They bombed the U.N. headquarters last month. I heard they are moving in a few thousand each month. They are well trained so they don’t need a lot of them to get the work done. They could hardly wait to get to Iraq. My friends are in touch with them and they will be attacking with increasing frequency. The non Iraqi civilian workers will have to leave, over the next few months, for lack of security. There won’t be any Iraqi police in a few months either.

Ed: I got a hunch just following the daily news that could be the case.

Saddam: Ed, my dinner is on the table, so I’ll call you back in a few weeks. We’ll discuss the news.

Ed: Thanks for calling, Saddam. I look forward to hearing from you again.

About the Author

A freelance writer published on many websites and in newspapers.
edhowes@hotmail.com
justanotherview.com

A Cheap Holiday in Other People’s Misery(catching up wit

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

One of my favourite pieces of music is the Sex Pistols’ classic
‘Holidays in the Sun’ – a song that begins with the line, ‘a
cheap holiday in other people’s misery’. This would have made a
fitting epitaph for my holiday in Israel, except that the $3000
air ticket meant that it wasn’t exactly cheap.

I went to Israel full of apprehension. Just knowing what we all
know of the backdrop of paranoia and pain that hangs over that
land is enough to make anybody apprehensive, but I also went
carrying a dark secret – that I was a friend of Mordechai
Vanunu’s, and I was nervous about the reaction I’d get should
this truth suddenly become public.

My friend Morde was completing an 18-year prison sentence for
doing something that most people in this country consider heroic.
Morde told the world about a secret stash of WMD’s (’weapons of
mass destruction’) that are being developed in an underground
factory in the Negev desert. Most people I know think he did the
world an enormous favour, but most people in his own country wish
Morde had kept his mouth shut. Indeed, most Israelis regard him
as a traitor!

In order to try to understand this attitude towards my friend, I
tried talking to local people about their attitude to nuclear
weapons. The response I received was alarming! “They’re only
there as our last resort” one articulate young journalist said to
me. “Just in case we get completely overrun.” “Well … what
happens then?” I asked. “Well”, he said, “then we destroy
everybody!”

Tragically, this was not an isolated example. Almost every time I
sought an opinion from taxi-drivers, cafe workers or hostel staff
concerning Israel’s nuclear capacity, the word ‘Armageddon’ would
come up. And these apologists seemed quite accepting of the fact
that in order to strike this decisive blow against their
neighbours, they might indeed need to take the rest of the planet
with them!

Thankfully not every Israeli took this position. Indeed, the
‘Free Vanunu’ campaign itself had a strong local contingent of
active peace campaigners.

These local activists were some of the most impressive people I
met during my stay in Israel. Even in Australia they would have
been impressive – mainly young, idealistic University students,
with a commitment to world peace and global disarmament -
impressive but not extraordinary in our context. In this context
though, growing up in an environment so overshadowed by violence
and fear, these brave young souls stood out like shining lights.

The violent side of Israeli culture was never more tangible to me
than it was on the day of Morde’s release. I had traveled many
thousands of miles to be reunited with my friend on the day that
he walked free. In my dreams I had imagined our reunion countless
times. Morde would walk through those gates with his belongings
in one hand, and me and a few friends and family would be there
to embrace him and lead him away. I didn’t really realise until I
reached the prison just how far from reality my imaginary
depiction of that scene would prove to be.

There were hundreds of us at the prison, and the vast majority
were not Morde’s friends. As the time of his release drew near, I
tried to move towards the prison gate where I had always imagined
myself standing as Morde walked out. I soon found myself squeezed
into the middle of an angry mob.

It was certainly one of the nastiest experiences of my life. The
whole mass of men seemed to seethe with aggression, and each
individual was competing to claw his way to the front, for what
exact purpose was not entirely clear. Thankfully I could not
understand the chants that were being sung to the tune of ‘here
we go, here we go, here we go’, but I was told later that the
words for ‘death’ and ‘traitor’ had been central to all the
mantras that were chanted that day.

On reflection I now think that it was a good thing that by the
time Morde came through those prison gates the police had packed
us together so tightly that I wasn’t able to move a limb. What
prevented me from running out to embrace Morde also prevented my
neighbours from reaching him with more sinister intent.

Thankfully the car with my friend in it got away with no more
than a dented panel and a shower of eggs. One antagonist did
manage to mount his motorbike in time to catch the car, but after
slamming into the side of the vehicle he lost his mount, and the
‘free man’ was able to proceed in peace.

Back at the gaol things then started to unravel. With their anger
unresolved, the mob started to vent their aggression on other
targets. I found myself swept up in this like a wave breaking
over my head. One second I was walking towards my bus. The next
moment I was surrounded by a mob led by an angry rabbi, screaming
at the top of his voice. ‘Go home’ was the only phrase I could
understand. Equally unambiguous though were the rough hands that
were being placed on my body, the kicks that were landing on my
legs, and the spittle that was accumulating on my face.

I didn’t see any path of escape in this situation, so I placed my
hands together in a position of prayer and bowed my head, working
on the hitherto successful strategy that if you refuse to fight
back, guys are generally very reluctant to beat you up. It
worked. A man grabbed me from behind with both hands and hauled
me out of the centre of the mob. I made it back to my bus without
further incident.

All of this would have been water off a duck’s back had Morde and
I then been able to board a plane and fly back to Australia.
Unfortunately the authorities had ruled that this ‘free’ man
should not be allowed to leave the country, nor go anywhere near
a border or a foreign embassy, nor have any contact with
‘foreigners’. The ‘foreigner’ restriction was aimed at the
foreign press. Even so, technically, I wasn’t allowed to spend
extensive time with my old friend without risking seeing him
re-arrested!

We were reunited briefly on the evening of that same day of his
release. Unfortunately I cried so much that I really didn’t get
the chance to tell him all of the things that I had prepared for
that moment. All I can hope for now is that one-day we will catch
up properly – perhaps over a few beers back here in the land of
Oz. I know that Morde would like that.

Getting Morde out of Israel is indeed the next big challenge for
the Vanunu campaign. I don’t know how hard this will prove to be.
I do know that I had a bloody hard time getting out myself. In my
case it wasn’t that they didn’t want me out (they held off the
departure of the plane until I got on board). They just seemed
determined to let me know that they didn’t want me back.

I had been warned by the other peace activists of intimidation
tactics employed by airport staff. Ironically, I initially made
it through all four security checkpoints without being stopped.
It was only as I proceeded to the final gate that a young man in
a suit caught up with me and said, “Excuse me sir, but can I see
your passport.” He then told me that there had been a ‘problem’
and that he would need to retain my passport until the ‘problem’
had been resolved. I was then shuffled into a small room to begin
a three-hour process of interrogation, body searching and luggage
examination.

In the end the verdict was that I was free to go and that there
was nothing suspect about the contents of my bags, but that the
bags themselves were suspect and that none of them could be taken
on board as hand luggage. This meant that I could carry with me
my camera, but not in my camera case, my laptop, but not my
laptop case, my video camera, but not the bag with the shoulder
strap that I lugged it around in, my toothbrush and paste, but
not my toiletries bag, and even my Palm-pilot portable keyboard,
but not the little vinyl dust-jacket that I kept it in. I could
take what I liked, so long as I carried it in my arms.

It was just a game, though they managed to keep straight faces
throughout the whole ordeal. For my part I refused to get on
board without the bulk of my carry-on items. In the end they
agreed to give me a large cardboard box to put them in.

And so my cheap holiday in other people’s misery came to an end.
But now the real work begins. For I returned home, but I left my
friend inside the confines of St George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem,
where the good bishop has offered him sanctuary.

Morde can’t leave the Cathedral grounds. He has at least two
reporters on every exit, taking shifts to cover his movements
24-hours per day. If Morde tries to walk out into the street,
he’ll be immediately surrounded and identified, and given the
number of locals that would count it as a point of pride to be
responsible for his death, Morde’s life in the open probably
wouldn’t last more than a few minutes.

I’d like to see my friend back here in Australia. I wonder if the
Australian government has the courage to offer him citizenship?

DBS. April 2004

About the Author

‘Fighting’ Father Dave Smith – Parish Priest, community worker,professional fighter, father of three. Dave is the only Australian in Holy Orders to turn pro boxer to help fund his work. He is Parish Priest in Dulwich Hill, Sydney,and has received numerous awards for his work with young people

Get a free preview of his book, ‘Sex, the Ring & the Eucharist’ when you sign up for Dave’s newsletter at www.fatherdave.org

A Clear Direction After Election Day

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Like everyone else, I was confused by the vast contradictions of the exit polls and the actual results of this election. If I were the news stations, I would want my money back. For all the excitement, waiting and tension, somehow I fell asleep at 10:30. When I woke up at midnight, I was like “Oh hell, here we go.” Then, this morning I felt a little better about it. I don’t think this will drag out for another couple of months.

My sympathies to those who worked so hard for Kerry. They really did, but I think the reality is that the country is going in a clear direction. I was surprised, but it’s pretty much in plain view. America is moving to the right. The White House, The Senate, The House and pretty soon, The Supreme Court is steering us in the direction of conservative values. Well, all that except for fiscal conservatism which in my opinion is the best aspect of conservativism. Bush’s spending is a mess and I’m not talking about the war.

If the Democrats are going to have a chance in any upcoming elections, they have to expand their base. They can only do that by electing more moderate, likeable candidates. Obama is a good example. Regardless of the fact that he was basically running the equivalent of unopposed, the middle is their only chance. They need a candidate who can appeal to the base and not just steal Independents, but steal Republicans the way Clinton did. They need a candidate that people want as opposed to a candidate that will do as long as the other guy doesn’t win. If they continue to rely on college kids and African Americans, they are going to stay where they are. The minority party.

So here we are. A President in power with the support of a little over half the people, but more than he got the last time. What are you thinking? What are you feeling? Barring something really unusual, Bush is going to win. What do you want him to do differently? What can all politicians do to quell some of this partisan hatred?

About the Author

Angela Winters is a freelance writer and author of over twelve novels. She writes articles on race, politics and diversity. Located in the Washington DC area, Angela has written for The Laurel Leader, Popandpolitics.com, Watchblog, Centerfield and Politopics among others.