Until recently, the Daily Star's online ads were similarly incongruous: any article that mentioned Israel would be accompanied by ads to visit Israel or buy Israeli goods, which was a bit jarring when the article was about cluster bombs or new settlements. Someone must have noticed however (maybe the editors, but more likely Google, since I bet those ads didn't get many click-throughs!), since more recently the ads have stuck to safer topics like "Sexy Lebanese Girls" (its a theme with universal appeal, I guess) and "Fly to Lebanon cheap".

I understand that these crossovers happen because online ads target customers through keywords and IP addresses, but I was still unprepared for the dramatic shift that took place in the ads I saw on Facebook. One day, I was in Lebanon, seeing ads for a "regime" that promised a 5-10 kg loss and ads for March 14 and other political organizations.

The next day I was in Brooklyn, where suddenly I was being asked to expand my wardrobe by visiting israelmilitary.com, an Israeli army surplus store selling everything from t-shirts to dog tags:

I do like shopping online, but this won't be my new go-to site. Nor will I be spending much time on Jobshuk.com, a site that aims to "improve the financial situation of Israeli residents" by connecting Israelis in need of jobs with "Zionists worldwide". (Shuk is the Hebrew word for "market" - and yes, its a close cousin of "souk", the Arabic word.)

Why am I not a fan of Job Shuk? Because when it states that: "The alarming numbers of poverty, hunger, and unemployment in Israel are incongruous with the advanced, democratic, and technically advanced society which we are developing," it isn't referring to poverty, hunger, or unemployment among Palestinians.

Don't get me wrong - I love many things about New York internet, not least its speed. But when it comes to advertising, I would be happy to have my Beirut IP back. Especially since half the time it put me in Lithuania.

I actually thought that my journey would be relatively uneventful. But in fact that was not to be the case. I left Beirut around 8:30 in the morning and we arrived relatively quickly to the Syrian border. When I handed the border guards my passport I discovered that my Syrian visa expired the day before. Thus, I had to wait for a few hours while they applied for my permission to enter via fax. I know why they do this and frankly the way Americans treat Arabs and Muslims at its borders pales in comparison to me having to wait in an air-conditioned arrival terminal for a few hours. But my service to Amman had to leave and so I was stuck without a ride. Fortunately, there was a Lebanese family from Taybe in South Lebanon in somewhat of a similar predicament. Some of them had American passports and so they also had to wait for faxes. It was a really fun group of people--grandmothers, parents, aunts and uncles, small children. They were enjoying their little lay over by cracking jokes, singing songs, imagining that we were in the fabulous Syrian film الحدود and it made the time go by so much faster. Because our faxes came in together they invited me to ride with them to Damascus as they had a minivan. One of the uncles in the family, who was very cute, though I think quite young, heard me complaining about my passport, wishing that I didn't have an American passport and he offered to marry me. When he handed my passport back to me he saw my age and couldn't believe that I am 39 years old; but he said "don't worry, you will have plenty of time for us to produce enough children." After that every question--"do you know how to dabke"--was answered with, "don't worry, when we are married I will have lots of time to teach you. They drove me to the service station in Damascus, though they asked me to stay and hang out with them for the day. If I had the time I would have as this was a most delightful family. I wish they had come with me to Amman so I didn't have to share a backseat with really loud, obnoxious, rude foreigners from England and Canada (Note to self: never again take a long service ride with الأجانب!)

But it was good that I left as when I arrived in Amman--some 12 hours later--I went directly to my friend's home where I got to spend time with her extended family--her kids, her husband, her teita, her sister and her husband. She made me my favorite dinner--maqlouba--and for dessert kalaj from Irbid. One of my friend's uncles who was there was telling me about life in Irbid and I heard a most horrifying thing, which I suppose is not unexpected, but shocking nevertheless: Israelis have been coming to Jordan to buy up property (Note to Syria: this is what normalization brings you). This is one reason why I like Lebanon and Syria so much more because you don't have to see or hear about Israelis in the country. Apparently, these Israelis are finding very poor Palestinians and Jordanians who are given large sums of cash in exchange for their work in buying up property, which is put in the Jordanian or Palestinian's name, which in turn is handed over to the Israeli property or land buyer through a contract. It instantly reminded me of the Sursuq family (and others) who sold land to Jewish colonists before the Zionists completely confiscated Palestine. And given that Zionists have always held as their mantra "from the Nile to the Euphrates" and given that there are Mossad agents and Israeli businessmen all over Kurdistan in northern Iraq it is particularly horrifying to imagine that there could be some such process in play where they are sneakily, and at times obviously, continuing their process of colonialism through various means.

Perhaps the antidote to all of this, at least in the short term for me, is my friend's 7 year old son who is endlessly delightful. I've watched him over the past three years come into understanding that he is Palestinian and what that means to him. I remember when I was at their house a couple of years ago and I had relayed stories about some horrible things I had seen the Israeli Aggressive Forces (IAF) doing; I hadn't known he was listening to our conversation and he became very worried that the IAF would come to Jordan and kill young Palestinians here, too. He's still worried about that, asks about that even now. But I noticed this time his collection of toys has expanded from dinosaurs to various toy weapons. He was asking me questions about what Israelis do, how they behave--"do they say 'hi'?"--it was so hard for him to imagine that there would be such a people who are not polite, who do not "say hi." After our conversation he went back into the living room and began his own little intifada game. I think when I left the house he had killed at least a few hundred imaginary Israelis. Somehow this gives me hope.

Paramilitary group Hizbollah is about to receive approval from the Lebanese Government which will enshrine in law the firing of rockets into Israel.

If, as expected, a draft law is passed, then the Israelis might blame any future attacks on the Lebanese Government and not just Hizbollah.

Since the 2006 Hizbollah/Israel war ended, it is thought Hizbollah has been re-armed by Syria and Iran and now has up to 30,000, rockets some of which may be able to reach as far as Tel Aviv.

Under UN Resolution 1701, which ended the conflict, Hizbollah was supposed to disarm.

It never happened, and after a recent violent crisis in Lebanon Hizbollah now holds 11 of the 30 Cabinet positions.

It is using this position of strength to push a law through parliament legitimising its right to bear arms.

A draft of the law supports the "right of Lebanon's people, the Army and the Resistance to liberate all its territories".

Israel Rocket Attacks To Be Legalised - Yahoo! News UK.

If this happens, Lebanob will be a real terrorist state.

Related:

1. Hezbullah accuses Israel over airspace violations.
2. Iranian leader Ali Khamenei: Hizbullah will not be disarmed.
3. An Iranian shipment for Hizbullah explodes.
4. Breeding Evil: Hizbullah children.
5. UN soldiers salute Hizbullah terrorists.
6. Kantar in Lebanon.
7. Israel-Hizbullah: the foolish swap.

Technorati Tags: Hizbullah, Islamism, Israel, Lebanon, terrorism

Warning

.

This video may contain images depicting the reality and horror of war/violence and should only be viewed by a mature audience.

linktv

Mosaic needs your help! Donate here: http://linktv.org/contribute
"Mauritanian Army Stages Coup," Dubai TV, UAE
"Iraqi Parliament Fails to Agree on Election Law," Abu Dhabi TV, UAE
"Israel Releases Five More Prisoners in Swap Deal," Al Jazeera TV, Qatar
"Settlers to Take Over Homes in Palestinian Neighborhood," Palestine TV, Ramallah
"Hezbollah May Acquire Anti-Aircrafts Missiles," IBA TV, Israel
"Life Returns to Normal in Beirut," NBN TV, Lebanon
"New Sanctions Against Iran," Al Arabiya TV, UAE
"Bin Laden's Driver Found Guilty," Al Jazeera English, Qatar
Produced for Link TV by Jamal Dajani.

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.1457688&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26]

Or it may have been that I didn't get enough sleep the night before.

Yesterday I looked up during my walk to the gym, rather than straight ahead or - ahem! - at the shop windows. And I saw something familiar - wooden mashrabiya-style additions to a stone (well, brick) building:

It looks so Lebanese, I thought to myself as I pulled out my camera. I can't wait to get home and compare it to the photograph I took at Beiteddine.

When I did, I realized that the two approaches to wooden building extensions weren't quite as similar as I had thought. Here's the photograph of Beiteddine:

Well, it was 6:00 AM. As you can see, Beiteddine's build-out is a bit more elaborate, not to mention bigger - kind of like Beiteddine itself compared to the brick building.

But I loved feeling, at least for a little while, that a direct connection between New York and Lebanon existed just a few blocks away.

Pavan will remain in his duties at OVU until Aug. 15 and three days later will be on the job at Cumberland.

It was an emotional and gut-wrenching decision for Pavan, who had become a fixture on the local sports scene.

"I have enjoyed all the great people I have worked with here,'' said Pavan. But the lure of running a bigger athletic program -one that includes football -was too strong.

"I'm excited,'' Pavan said of his new position. "Cumberland has been there for 166 years and is in the midst of a $50 million fundraising campaign."

It has won an NAIA national championship in baseball and it has a traditionally strong wrestling program. Cumberland boasts 500 athletes, including a cycling team.

Pavan hopes he can leave his mark on Cumberland the way he has advanced athletics at OVU.

When Pavan came to what was then Ohio Valley College, the school was a two-year junior college. He oversaw the transformation to small college athletics to the NAIA and eventually to NCAA Division II. Perhaps Pavan's biggest accomplishment was pushing OVU's membership into the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Pavan also is proud of the continued facility improvements at OVU. On Friday, the very day he announced he was leaving, he was helping move the OVU athletic department into its new headquarters. For the first time, the entire department will be located in the same building.

Pavan is going to miss the many relationships he developed during his tenure.

"The two mayors (David Nohe of Vienna and Bob Newell) have been great friends to me,'' said Pavan, who also singled out WVIAC commissioner Barry Blizzard.

But perhaps there's no one Pavan will miss more than local resident Paul McDaniel, with whom he developed a close friendship.

Pavan enjoyed McDaniel's daily visits to his office. Often, McDaniel, a senior citizen, would bring the morning paper and they would discuss the events of the day while sharing coffee. Pavan said he has learned a lot from McDaniel.

While Pavan will be relocating to Tennessee soon, the remainder of his family - wife Tammi, daughters Madison and Jenna and son Mason -will stay here for the upcoming school year, when Madison will be a senior leader on the Parkersburg High School basketball team and Jenna will be a sophomore member of the same program. Mason is an eighth grade student at Hamilton Middle School, where he is about to begin football.

Pavan raised OVU's profile in the local community, not only by elevating the quality of sports at OVU, but also by bringing in major sports personalities to conduct fundraisers. Among those who have appeared at OVU are former West Virginia University coach Don Nehlen, former Auburn football coach Terry Bowden and ESPN basketball commentator Jay Bilas.

Pavan said he couldn't have accomplished anything without the three men under whom he worked at OVU, Keith Stotts, Bob Stephens and James Johnson, the current president.

Source: http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/507789.html
Writer: Dave Poe
Post Date: August 2, 2008

Pavan replaces Pat Lawson, who resigned in May to take the same position at Father Ryan High School in Nashville.

With 22 years of coaching and administrative experience, he served the past 14 as AD at NCAA Division II Ohio Valley University in Vienna, W.Va. While there, he added seven varsity sports, moved the school from the NAIA and oversaw the development of an indoor baseball/softball complex, a fitness center and creation of a booster club.

"Mr. Pavan has a very impressive record," Eaton said. "I expect him to make a real difference at Cumberland University as we continue our movement toward excellence on all fronts."

Pavan is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the NCAA D-II membership committee and the D-II regional rating committee. He also serves as women's basketball chairman for the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

He was Ohio Valley's women's basketball coach from 1994-2005, building a program which finished in the WVIAC's elite eight in 2004. He went 98-52 at Northeastern Christina Junior College in Villanova, Pa., from 1986-93, claiming NJCAA Coach of the Year honors in 1991. He also built strong programs in softball and men's soccer at Northeast Christina.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pavan holds an M.S. from West Virginia University's school of physical education and a B.A. from Lubbock Christian University.

He will officially begin his CU duties in mid-August.

Source: http://www.lebanondemocrat.com/news.php?viewStory=4101
Lebanon Democrat
Writer: Staff Reporters
Post Date: Aug. 5, 2008

Pavan comes to Lebanon from Vienna, W.Va. where he served as Athletic Director of Ohio Valley University for the past 15 years.  Pavan brings a great deal of athletic administration experience to Cumberland after transitioning OVU from a junior college program, into the NAIA as a four year school, and finally into the NCAA D-II and the prestigious West Virginia  Athletic Conference.

Pavan also served as the Women's basketball coach at OVU over 10 season earning the reputation of a great recruiter as well as coach, sending his to the WVIAC Elite Eight in 2004.  Pavan also served Northeastern Christian Junior College women's coach earning NJCAA Region 19 Coach of the Year honors in 1991.

While at OVU Pavan added seven sports and saw his teams earn WVIAC championships in both men's golf (2003) and baseball (2006) and NCAA Regional Tournament appearances.

Pavan is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the NCAA Division II Membership Committee and the NCAA Division II Regional Rating Committee. He also serves as Women's Basketball Chairman of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC).

The Pittsburgh, Pa. native holds a Master of Science from West Virginia University’s School of Physical Education and a Bachelor of Arts from Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock, Texas. 

Pavan will begin his tenure at Cumberland August 18th.

Mehdi Army 'stops carrying arms'

The militia is weakened after many battles with US and Iraqi forces

A spokesman for Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr says his militia  will no longer carry weapons, but he stopped short of declaring an end to violence.

In a BBC interview, Salah al-Obeidi said future decisions about the Mehdi Army's strategy would depend on the long-term status of US troops in Iraq.

"Resistance" would go on if a timetable for US withdrawal was not set, he said.

Iraq and the US are negotiating a status of forces agreement to decide the future role of US troops.

An announcement is expected to be read out at prayers in many Shia mosques in Baghdad on Friday.

The BBC's Crispin Thorold in Baghdad says the Mehdi Army was once arguably the most powerful Shia military and political movement in Iraq, but it has been seriously weakened after military operations against it.

Local ceasefires were declared in Basra and Baghdad earlier year year after intense fighting, but the militia still retains its weapons.

In June, the militia announced a reorganisation along the lines of Hezbollah in Lebanon - turning it into a large social movement with small secretive fighting units.

Separately, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has given militants in Diyala province, north of Baghdad, a week to lay down their arms.

He said those that did so would receive an amnesty.

So far, almost 500 suspected militants have been captured in an offensive there over the past eight days.

This scenario is inevitable given, as above, the  collaboration and control of Lebanon's army and state by Hezbollah, Syria and Iran, given the seizures of Mt. Sannine and Mt. Barukh and the installation of anti-aircraft and radar systems there - which under international law have no right to be there, Hezbollah not being recognised as a state, instead acting as an "interest group" within Lebanon, one which freely flouts the laws of that state. The rearmament of Hezbollah has been openly allowed to happen by the Lebanese state and the UN force stationed in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon can no longer be considered a sovereign state as it has not been in control of its borders since the 1970s (when Arafat et al arrived), has been host to terrorist organisations that it has been unable or unwilling to remove and which undermine the state, and it now controlled by foreign powers and domestic terrorist groups.

In spite of the good intentions of many of the activists organizing this boat, I have serious problems with it on a number of levels.

1st, it seemed to me that the organizers didn't necessarily want to get into Gaza. Rather, it seemed as though they intended to create an action that would necessitate that they not get in merely to call attention to the fact that this siege exists. I met another woman later in Los Angeles before I left the U.S. at the Al Awda conference who said that the only relief supplies they are bringing are hearing aid batteries (apparently Israelis think Palestinians would use these to make bombs so they are banned).

And this is my 2nd problem with the boat. It isn't bringing supplies into Gaza, a place where people are in desperate need (such an understatement) for everything and anything from anesthesia to bread.

3rd, the boat is asking people to raise all this money to support the boat itself in lieu of using the money to support the people of Gaza by building community gardens that would feed people, for instance; and the money is not just being raised for the boat, as people who go on it are required to pay their passage to Cyprus and then pay a fee of at least $1,000 to the boat.

4th, I was told that the people invited or selected to go on the boat, once in Cyprus, would be further whittled down based on unknown criteria.

5th, couldn't that money be used for something better--like for the people of Gaza? To support their resistance in whatever form?

6th, these activists are only staying for a few days, it seems, or at least most of them so I expect there will not be any real solidarity or political, or humanitarian work done (or at least this remains to be seen).

7th, this ship has Israelis on it. I'm sure they are Israelis who consider themselves anti-Zionist, but that is not the point. I'm sure some of these people do good work, but the point is: they are Israelis. The people organizing such an action should know better than to arrange for such an action that becomes one that is about normalization. Politically this is deeply problematic not the least of which is due to the fact that the IAF has unleashed what one of its leaders termed a "holocaust" on the people of Gaza earlier this year. It may not look the same as earlier such genocides, but make no mistake about it whether the death is quick or slow it still a genocide. And if Israelis care about the situation then they should work within their own society to end this occupation and bring about the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Here is an example of what I mean; this is a letter sent out on various listservs by Jeff Halper from the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions:

In another few days, I will sail on one of the Free Gaza movement boats from Cyprus to Gaza. The mission is to break the Israeli siege, an absolutely illegal siege which has plunged a million and a half Palestinians into wretched conditions: imprisoned in their own homes, exposed to extreme military violence, deprived of the basic necessities of life, stripped of their most fundamental human rights and dignity. The siege violates the most fundamental principle of international law: the inadmissibility of harming civilian populations. Our voyage also exposes Israel's attempt to absolve itself of responsibility for what is happening in Gaza. Israel's claim that there is no Occupation, or that the Occupation ended with "disengagement," is patently false. Occupation is defined in international law as having effective control over a territory. If Israel intercepts our boats, it is clear that it is the Occupying Power exercising effective control over Gaza. Nor has the siege anything to do with "security." Like other elements of the Occupation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where Israel has also besieged cities, towns, villages and whole regions, the siege on Gaza is fundamentally political. It is intended to isolate the democratically-elected government of Palestine and break its power to resist Israeli attempts to impose an apartheid regime over the entire country.

This is why I, an Israeli Jew, felt compelled to join this voyage to break the siege. As a person who seeks a just peace with the Palestinians, who understands (despite what our politicians tell us) that they are not our enemies but rather people seeking precisely what we sought and fought for - national self-determination I cannot stand idly aside. I can no more passively witness my government's destruction of another people than I can watch the Occupation destroy the moral fabric of my own country. To do so would violate my commitment to human rights, the very essence of prophetic Jewish religion, culture and morals, without which Israel is no longer Jewish but an empty, if powerful, Sparta.

Israel has, of course, legitimate security concerns, and Palestinian attacks against civilian populations in Sderot and other Israeli communities bordering on Gaza cannot be condoned. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel, as an Occupying Power, has the right to monitor the movement of arms to Gaza as a matter of "immediate military necessity." As activists committed to resisting the siege non-violently, I have no objection to the Israeli navy boarding our boats and searching for weapons. But only that. Because Israel has no right to besiege a civilian population, it has no legal right to prevent us, private persons sailing solely in international and Palestinian waters, from reaching Gaza - particularly since Israel has declared that it no longer occupies it. Once the Israeli navy is convinced we pose no security threat, then, we thoroughly expect it to permit us to continue our peaceful and lawful journey into Gaza port.

Ordinary people have often played key roles in history, particularly in situations like this where governments shirk their responsibilities. My voyage to Gaza is a statement of solidarity with the Palestinian people in their time of suffering, but it also conveys a message to my fellow citizens.

First, despite what our political leaders say, there is a political solution to the conflict, there are partners for peace. The very fact that I, an Israeli Jew, will be welcomed by Palestinian Gazans makes that very point. My presence in Gaza also affirms that any resolution of the conflict must include all the peoples of the country, Palestinian and Israeli alike. I am therefore using whatever credibility my actions lend me to call on my government to renew genuine peace negotiations based on the Prisoners Document accepted by all Palestinian factions, including Hamas. The release of all political prisoners held by Israel, including Hamas government ministers and parliamentary members, in return for the repatriation of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, would dramatically transform the political landscape by providing the trust and good-will essential to any peace process.

Second, the Palestinians are not our enemies. In fact, I urge my fellow Israeli Jews to disassociate from the dead-end politics of our failed political leaders by declaring, in concert with Israeli and Palestinian peace-makers: We refuse to be enemies. Only that assertion of popular will can signal our government that we are fed up with being manipulated by those profiting from the Occupation.

And third, as the infinitely stronger party in the conflict and the only Occupying Power, we Israelis must accept responsibility for our failed and oppressive policies. Only we can end the conflict.

In the Israeli conception, Zionism was intended to return to the Jews control over their own destiny. Do not let us be held hostage to politicians who endanger the future of our society. Join with us end the siege of Gaza, and with it the Occupation in its entirety. Let us, the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, declare to our leaders: we demand a just and lasting peace in this tortured Holy Land.

(Jeff Halper, the head of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, was a nominee for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.)

The items emphasized in bold above are those I added emphasis to. They are intended to highlight the limitations of an Israeli/Palestinian normalizing project. Notice that Halper says nothing about the right of return of Palestinian refugees under UN Resolution 194. He does, to his credit, state the need for Israel to return all Palestinian political prisoners. He discusses the illegality of the Occupation, but his sense of the Occupation is entirely rooted in a very specific geographical territory: Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem as if these are three separate territories. As if they are disconnected--historically--from the rest of historic Palestine. Moreover, he does the typical anti-Zionist Jewish thing that for me smacks of Jewish supremacy (read: white supremacy) by suggesting that somehow Jews have some essence culturally, religiously that is more moral than others. I've never seen evidence to support such a claim (historically, religiously, culturally). And, like so many such activist the privileging of non-violence as a strategy is done to the exclusion of honoring Palestinians' legal right to resist militarily. Halper's referencing of the Fourth Geneva Convention is interesting here given that Palestinians also have a right to resist an illegal military, colonial occupation through military means under that same convention. Finally, his need to make this about balance--as if Israelis and Palestinians have equal concerns for their safety, well being, rights--that somehow Israel has "legitimate security concerns" is outrageous. It makes it clear precisely why Israelis--non-Zionist or otherwise--should be invited on such a boat or into Gaza. Obviously I am not Palestinian so such invitations are not for me to make. But I think that those who read this letter from Halper will understand what I mean and why I find it so offensive that such people are going to Gaza.

I was thinking about this boat in relation to an art project here in Lebanon in the Palestinian refugee camps. There was a project for the kids to produce art through found objects. This particular project had the kids making boats with the idea that these would symbolize their right of return to Palestine--that they would be symbolic of a journey they should be able to take from Lebanon to Palestine to return to their villages. Each child painted their name and the name of their original village on these boats. The kind of boat ride I would like to see would be one that sailed from Lebanon, filled with Palestinians, returning to their villages for good.

Finally, the image above of Dalal Moghrabi was taken today in Shatila refugee camp. There are many posters of Moghrabi and other Palestinians whose bodies were "returned" to Lebanon with the Lebanese political prisoners who were released a few weeks ago. As of yet her remains (bones, which is how most of the resistance fighters came back to Lebanon) have not been identified among three remaining fighters, I believe. But her return, like all the other Palestinians "returned" to Lebanon is bittersweet for most Palestinians here. Dalal was a refugee who became a heroic fighter who led her own team by sea to Palestine where they carried out an operation against a bus full of IAF soldiers. She was a refugee turned heroic fighter who returned to and died on her land, buried in her soil. For her to be brought back to Lebanon is a way of turning her--and the other Palestinian resistance fighters--into refugees once again.

Universal Life Insurance is a type of permanent life insurance based on a cash value. That is, the policy is established with the insurer where premium payments above the cost of insurance are credited to the cash value. The cash value is credited each month with interest, and the policy is debited each month by a cost of insurance (COI) charge, which is drawn from the cash value if no premium payment is made that month. The interest credited to the account is determined by the insurer; often it is pegged to a financial index. Because only the amount of interest credited and not the cash value itself varies, UL policies offer a stable investment option. A similar type of policy that was developed from universal life policies is the variable universal life insurance policy, or VUL. VUL's allow the cash value to be directed to a number of separate accounts that operate like mutual funds and can be invested in stock or bond investments with greater risk and potential reward. Additionally, there is the recent addition of Equity Indexed Universal Life contracts that invest in Index Options on the movement of an Index such as the S&P 500, Russell 2000, and the Dow (to name a few). These type of contracts only participate in the movement of Index and not the actual purchase of stocks, bonds or mutual funds. They may have a cap (but not always) as to the maximum amount they will credit interest to and a minimum guarantee which keeps the principal of the contract from losing money in a down year. Typically each year the starting point is last year's ending point which means that: (1) the policy amount is locked in at the end of the year; and, (2)the beginning value from which the movement measured is reset.

Universal life is similar in some ways to, and was developed from whole life insurance. The potential advantage of the universal life policy is in its flexibility and the potential for greater cash value growth if the interest rates offered outperform the insurer's general account (that whole life policy cash value growth is based on). Universal life is more flexible than whole life in two primary ways: the death benefit and usually the premium payment are flexible. The death benefit can be increased (subject to insurability) and decreased without surrendering the policy or getting a new one as would be required with whole life. Also a range of premium payments can be made to the policy, from a minimum amount to cover various guarantees the policy may offer to the maximum amount allowed by IRS rules. The primary difference is that the universal life policy shifts some of the risk for maintaining the death benefit to the insured. In a whole life policy, as long as every premium payment is made, the death benefit is guaranteed to be paid if the insured dies. In a UL the policy will lapse (the death benefit will no longer be in force) if the cash value or premium payments are not enough to cover the cost of insurance. To make their policies more attractive insurers often add guarantees, where if certain premium payments are made for a given period, the policy will remain in force even if the cash value drops to zero.

There are two other areas that differentiate Universal Life from Whole Life Insurance. The first is that the expenses, charges and cost of insurance within a Universal Life contract are transparently disclosed to the insured, whereas a Whole Life Insurance policy has traditionally hidden this type of information from the policyholder. Secondly, there are more flexible exit strategies within a Universal Life contract which increases the flexibility of that contract over a Whole Life policy including Zero interest or wash loans which virtually provide the policyholder the ability to access the growth inside the contract "income tax free."

Uses

Universal Life is used as a tax-advantaged way to purchase life insurance. In the early years of the contract, the premium far exceeds the cost of insurance (COI) charges. The difference between the two (the "inside build-up") will grow tax-deferred so long as the policy remains in force. If the policy is held until death, this inside build-up will escape taxation entirely. This is because you paid the premium with after-tax money, so the money going in has already been taxed. So only growth would be taxed. However, since you only pay taxes on the growth of an investment, and you rarely see growth relative to premiums paid, the money in the end is able to escape taxation. Policyholders may also be able to access the inside build-up via a policy loan without incurring it as taxable income for the same reasoning.

Types

Single Premium

Single Premium UL is paid for by a single, substantial, initial payment. The policy remains in force so long as the COI charges have not depleted the account.

Since changes in the tax code, this type of policy is now called a "Modified Endowment Contract (MEC)" and is subject to different tax treatment. All policies paid up in 5 or less years are subject to this same negative tax treatment. While the premiums and accumulation will be taxed just like an annuity upon withdrawing, the accumulations will grow tax deferred and will still transfer tax free under Internal Revenue Service Code 101a.

Fixed Premium

Fixed Premium UL is paid for by periodic premium payments. Generally these payments will be for a shorter period of time than the policy is in force; for example payments may be made for 10 years, with the intention that thereafter the policy is paid-up. If the experience of the plan is not as good as predicted, the account value at the end of the premium period may not be adequate to continue the policy as originally written. In this case, the policyholder may have the choice to either: 1. Leave the policy alone, and let it potentially expire early (if COI charges deplete the account), or 2. Make additional or higher premium payments, to keep the death benefit level, or 3. Lower the death benefit.

Flexible Premium

Flexible Premium UL allows the policyholder to determine how much they wish to pay each time premium is due. In addition, Flexible Premium UL offers two different death benefit options: 1. A level death benefit (often called Option A), or 2. A level amount at risk (often called Option B). This is also referred to as an increasing death benefit.

Policyholders frequently buy Flexible Premium UL with a large initial deposit, thereafter making payments irregularly.

original story from wikipedia.org

so i told him.

then he replied, well, you know, walid and i are childhood friends, but i disagree with his latest position.

hmm... which position, i asked him, the one walid jumblatt took a few days ago or the one he took a few weeks ago?

i walked away still not knowing his position on lebanese politics.

Without the corkscrew deplume:
“Unseeable Secrets�? is a high-colored and obsessional tally speaking of concord, love, bemoaning, compunction, judgment, violent change – and at the last, oath. Whereby a ruler-flowered complement that includes Commode Schneider(television’s “Smallville�? and “Dukes in respect to Hazzard�?), Tracy Melchior (excepting noontide light TV’s “The Brassy and the Beautiful�?), David A.R. Calcimine(“Sympathy Streets�? and “Melrose Place�?), and Warmhearted table introducer Rachel Lampa, “Arcane Secrets�? tells the switch in reference to a bubba whose bowl over matching in keeping with a exasperating gone opens the barway in order to curing and justified bond as long as himself and those I myself loves.

Combinative a persuasion regarding pre-teens friends because the hometown obsequial re his prevail intimate, Jeremy (Glaucescence) finds himself hypnotized between his unfledged fiancé and an constant vulcanize that cradle burns lettered within his fatty heart. Remote so that foreground his insulting reduce ex small fry man of God upon confederacy shareholder jungle bunny, Jeremy discovers that subconscious self isn’t the purely creative nook a dark age privately – gold inwardly commitment apropos of pity and obliteration. Does anyone on and on treks all included out of sight devour the gulf speaking of affairs in stand rather unavenged? “Dormant Secrets�? offers a milked and instructive expedient on this fuming enigma, and ingress the Afro deals plus cajolery issues go for abortion, pedophilia, premarital ardency – and the traditionalistic metaphorical sense with regard to articles of religion. The rasher still bearing immanent bang tablature in lock-step with Orthodox artists Rachael Lampa and Frame 429.

Read more here:israelnationalnews.com

UN Security Council resolution 1701 of 2006 by taking delivery of quantities of smuggled Iranian and Syrian weapons and redeploying in South Lebanon.
During that period, the Israeli government stood by and failed to interfere with this unfolding menace and Lebanon’s takeover as a Syrian-Iranian outpost.
Wednesday, an Israeli security source ‘”revealed” that Hizballah had amassed 40,000 rockets.

Read more here:DEBKAfile

If Hezbollah installs advanced anti-aircraft batteries in Lebanon, the Israel Air Force will have to alter its overflights of Lebanon significantly, a senior IAF officer told Haaretz Tuesday.

However, he added that the IAF has successfully coped with similar threats elsewhere, and could do so in Lebanon as well.

Senior government and army officials have recently held feverish discussions on this scenario. Some of those involved have termed the installation of anti-aircraft batteries a "red line" to which Israel would have to respond with a "violent signal."

There have been conflicting reports in the Arabic media as to whether Hezbollah has already smuggled in such missiles, or is merely seeking to do so. Senior General Staff officers opined recently that while Hezbollah clearly wants such missiles eventually, they doubt it is interested in heating up its conflict with Israel just now.

What? Israel considers its illegal flights over Lebanese airspace a "red line"? I mean, sure - I'd love to be able to go into the other apartments in our building and use their owners' goods whenever I want. But guaranteeing myself access to other people's property isn't a "red line" - its theft. And creepy.

Declaring Lebanese airspace an Israeli "red line" suggests that its physical occupation of Lebanese soil, which ended in 2000, has been replaced by its occupation of Lebanese skies. And I don't remember the Israelis protesting earlier this year when the Lebanese army began using its anti-aircraft missiles against the "did anyone say Resolution 1701" overflights. Of course, those missiles' range falls well short of the Israeli jets' altitude - it was merely a symbolic gesture. But faced with a real challenge - especially one from Hizbullah - the Israeli military seems to be turning into the Queen of Hearts.

The rest of the article, whose tone is a surprising mix of petulance and intransigence given Haaretz' reputation as Israel's liberal newspaper, is available here.

Dezeen has some excellent pictures about this stunning forgotton masterpiece by Oscar Niemeyer, designed for a planned world fair in Tripoli, Lebanon. An urban development with 15 pavilions was left unfinished when civil war broke out in 1975. Today the site is under attack from city planners who want to redevelop it to a theme park.

The truth is that the heads of Zionism came to the conclusion that a direct war against Hizbollah (experience from the 33-Day-War) cannot destroy this people’s movement. Because of this, in a fruitless effort, they wanted to propagate against Hizbollah in order to get the public opinion in their hands. 

Israeli figures announced on many occasions that they will free Golad Shalit (a Zionist soldier that was held captive) or they would assassinate Samir Quntar, the oldest Lebanese prisoner that was released from the Zionist grip.

The Zionists even went further than this and warned that they would also assassinate all leading figures of the resistance, including Sayyid Hassan Nasrullah – the secretary-genreal of Hizbollah.

This occurred when the Lebanese newspaper al-Mustaqbil pulled the curtain on the cooperation between the Israeli spy agency (Mosad) with America and some Arab countries of the region in order to assassinate the leaders of Hizbollah.

From another angle, the international reaction, even in Israel, of the prisoner exchange angered Israeli officials because the people of the world became very happy at the release of Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners. They sent various letters congratulating Hizbollah for this victory.

Source: www.insight-info.com

Beirut, yesterday night. A country in turmoil, falling into pieces. Sun is setting over a nation, or tomorrow is a better, bright day. Your choice.

مارسي نيومان *
نازحون من نهر البارد (أرشيف ــ بلال جاويش)نازحون من نهر البارد (أرشيف ــ بلال جاويش)تلمّح قصيدة سهير حماد «عن الملجأ واللغة»، المكتوبة في أعقاب الإعصار كاترينا في آب 2005، إلى النكبة كوسيلة لتصوّر ما كان مخبأً لسكان نيو أورليانز المشرّدين داخلياً:
«أفكر في أجدادي وكيف دعاهم البعض باللاجئين ودعاهم آخرون بغير الموجودين. هم دعوا أنفسهم بمن لا أرض لهم، وهو ما يعني بلا مأوى قبل الإعصار. لا خيام أعدت للفرار، لأن الأميركيين لا يعيشون في الخيام. فالخيام هي من أجل هايتي والبوسنة ورواندا. اللاجئون هم بقية العالم».
تكشف صور الترحيل القسري والتشرد هذه عن التشابه المدهش لناس رُحّلوا قسراً عن ديارهم بسبب أحداث كارثية. كوارث من صنع الإنسان لا الطبيعة. في السياقين من المفيد الأخذ بعين الاعتبار اقتراح المؤرخ الإسرائيلي، ايلان بابي، بأننا نتحدى مصطلح النكبة، لأن الكوارث هي مجرد أحداث تنتج كوارث فجائية وليست أحداثاً من صنع الإنسان.
وبغضّ النظر ما إذا كان تعمّد الصهاينة ارتكاب المجزرة وطرد الفلسطينيين، أو سوء تصرف الحكومة الأميركية المتعمد في إعادة تأهيل السدود في نيو أورليانز تحسباً لحدوث إعصار، فيجب أن نعترف بأننا نتعامل مع محاولات تطهير عرقي لمنطقة من سكانها على أساس العنصرية و«تفوّق الأبيض».
للتلميحات في قصيدة حماد، صدى ليس فقط مع الأحداث قبل 60 عاماً، ولكن أيضاً مع مضاعفات السياقات اللبنانية والفلسطينية في السنوات الأخيرة، بما فيها الحرب الإسرائيلية على لبنان وغزة عام 2006، حرب بدأت في غزة وتستمر بأشكال مختلفة حتى اليوم، وتدمير الجيش اللبناني لمخيم نهر البارد للاجئين في الصيف الماضي. وهي تأخذ أشكالاً مختلفة، لكنها أيضاً تلتئم بطرق معينة.
خلال حرب تموز 2006، ساعدتُ في تنظيم رحلة لشبان فلسطينيين من مخيم دهيشة للاجئي 1948. في واحدة من القرى، وهي قرية جرش المدمرة جزئياً وغير المأهولة في الوقت الحاضر والواقعة على تلة هادئة، كان يمكن أن نشعر باهتزازات القصف على غزة تحت أقدامنا بينما نشاهد أيضاً طائرات قوات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي تحلّق فوق رؤوسنا في طريقها إلى لبنان.
وكنت مدركاً تماماً أن هذا القتال يحدث في الذكرى السنوية الأولى على إعصار كاترينا.
قبل أسبوع واحد من رحلتنا إلى جرش، وبينما كان تشرّد ودمار جديدان يمطران لبنان وغزة، قدمت وكالة التعاون الأمني الدفاعي في البنتاغون إلى قوات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي وقود «ج ب 8» بما قيمته 210 ملايين دولار أميركي لتغطية تكاليف حرب الإبادة الجماعية، بدلاً من تقديم أي مساعدة مالية أو دعم للبنى التحتية للناجين من كاترينا. بعد عام على إعصار كاترينا، عشرات آلاف الأشخاص كانوا لا يزالون محرومين من حقهم في العودة إلى ديارهم، ولم تُصرف المساعدات القليلة التي وعدت بها الوكالة الفيدرالية لإدارة الطوارئ. بعد ثلاث سنوات أصبح تعداد سكان نيو أورليانز ثلثي ما كان عليه قبل الإعصار.
من المعروف في هذه المنطقة أنّ الولايات المتحدة تقدم دعماً غير مسبوق إلى آلة الحرب الإسرائيلية، ولكننا غالباً لا نضع هذا في سياق سياسات الإبادة الجماعية الأميركية التي تستهدف شعباً ذا تلوينات داخلية. كثير من المجتمعات المحلية في نيو أورليانز، ولا سيما في مناطق مثل «Lower Ninth Ward»، يفهم وضعه بالعلاقة مع سياسات الولايات المتحدة الاستعمارية الجديدة في العراق وأفغانستان. وحدات الحرس الوطني الأميركي التي كان يمكن نشرها للمساعدة في إخلاء المدينة كانت تقتل المدنيين الأبرياء في العراق. أفراد الحرس الوطني العائدون من العراق يتحدثون عن نيو أورليانز على نحو مشابه للمنطقة الخضراء في العراق. بدلاً من المساعدة كانوا يحرسون من أُجلوا وأُبقوا خلف متاريس مليئة بالوحل ومياه الصرف الصحي.
جهود الإغاثة القليلة التي ظهرت تشبه السياسات الاستعمارية الجديدة لأميركا في المنطقة. الناجون مجرّمون، مهمشون، ومنسيون.
وقد جاء إلى نيو أورليانز المقاولون أنفسهم الذين يسيئون إدارة إعادة الإعمار ويعيثون الخراب في العراق، وبينهم شركة «بلاكووتر» وشركة الأمن الإسرائيلية «انستينكتيف شوتينغ انترناشونال».
ونحن نقترب من الذكرى السنوية الثالثة لكاترينا، نجد أن الوكالة الاتحادية لإدارة الطوارئ قد أغلقت للتو أكبر وحدة سكنية متنقلة. كان الناجون من نيو أورليانز يعيشون فيها في ظروف كئيبة، ولا يزالون ممنوعين من حقهم في العودة إلى ديارهم. الآن هم بلا مأوى. فالمقطورات التي كانوا يعيشون فيها مؤقتاً تشبه بشكل ملحوظ أحدث وحدات متنقلة يعيش فيها قلة من الفلسطينيين الذين سمح لها بالعودة إلى نهر البارد. هذه الوحدات الفولاذية الصغيرة قد توفر مأوى لهذه المجتمعات، ولكن التعرض للحرارة الشديدة والبرد القارص، وحشر عائلات كبيرة في مساحات صغيرة لا إنسانية، كل هذا يجعلها غير صالحة للعيش. في المكانين، جُرّم الهاربون وحرموا من حقهم في العودة إلى ديارهم المدمرة، وتخلت عنهم المؤسسات والمنظمات التي وعدت بإعادة بناء مجتمعاتهم.
وفي نهر البارد، كما في نيو أورليانز، هناك مجموعات من الناس من هذه المجتمعات قاومت السلطات للمطالبة بحقها في العودة. مؤسسات مثل «الأرضية المشتركة للإغاثة» عبّأت جهود إعادة البناء والإغاثة تحت شعار «التضامن لا الصدقة». هذا التضامن أخذ بشكل رئيسي شكل العمل المحلي، لأن الناس في نيو أورليانز، جنوب لبنان، ونهر البارد، أعادوا بناء حياتهم. ولكن مشروع مدينة مرادفة يمكن أن يكون وسيلة منتجة لبناء حركة مقاومة أكثر قوة لنبض الاستعمار الجديد لدى الحكومات والشركات، والمنظمات غير الحكومية، التي تمتنع عموماً عن تقديم المشاريع المستدامة للمحرومين.
مشروع مدينة رديفة قائم على التضامن يمكن أن يقيم صلات عبر حياة من يتعرضون لما يدعوه نعومي كلاين «عقدة الكارثة الرأسمالية»، وذلك عن طريق خلق صلات ومشاريع مستدامة تقوم على إعادة بناء حياة الناس بطريقة تقوّيهم بما يكفي للكفاح من أجل الأهداف السياسية التي تعنيهم. تبادل الأفكار بشأن ثقافات المقاومة في نيو أورليانز وجنوب لبنان، ونهر البارد، قد يمكّن الناس في هذه المجتمعات من الاتحاد ضد حكومات مثل الولايات المتحدة المصمّمة على تدمير منازل الناس، فيما ترفض بناء ما يخصّها.
(ترجمة سلام سباعي)
* باحثة أميركيّة مقيمة في بيروت