CBS has an opinion piece by Seth F. Kreimer, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, A Hollow Debate Over “Hallowed Ground”

When I teach law students how to analyze a constitutional case, I drill into them one lesson: always start with the facts.

So when I was asked to opine on TV last week about the proposed construction of a “Ground Zero Mosque,” my first instinct was to look into the facts of the case. As a lawyer, those facts made it clear to me that opposition to the “Ground Zero Mosque” cannot claim to uphold American law. But as an American citizen, they made something else clear to me: opposition cannot claim to uphold American ideals.

Unfortunately the people who oppose the building aren’t interested in facts. They don’t care that some of the first-responders who died were Muslims, or that some of those working in the Towers were also Muslims. They don’t care that the site is surrounded by churches, chapels. tabernacles, and a Christian Science reading room. All the protesters are interested in is showing their hate.

The piece has a lot of solid information and is well-reasoned, but in the end facts and logic have nothing to do with the “lizard-brain” reaction to this community center. [I apologize to lizards for associating them with these whackoes.]

The BBC reports on the latest from a powerful Israeli whacko: Israel rabbi calls for ‘plague’ on Mahmoud Abbas

A senior rabbi from a party within Israel’s coalition government has called for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to “vanish from our world”.

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, spiritual leader of Shas, spoke out as Middle East talks are poised to begin in Washington.
…

The 89-year-old former chief rabbi of Israel has been at the centre of controversy before, with comments about Arabs, secular Jews, liberals, women and gays.

In 2001, during a Palestinian uprising, he called for the annihilation of Arabs and said it was forbidden to be merciful to them.

He later said he was referring only to “terrorists” who attacked Israelis.

There is a picture with the article that shows he is obviously an important religious leader, because only country singers, drag queens, and religious leaders can dress like that.

In a “Pat Robinson moment” the Rabbi opined that the Holocaust was G-d’s punishment for the sins of the Jews. He later said that he thought that those who died were “saints”. I don’t think that he really meant to cast the Nazis as agents of G-d’s will, but then I’m not a psychologist.

The Shas have 11 seats and 4 ministries in the current government, and are part of the “genocide” cluster, i.e. the “kill the Palestinians and take their land” caucus, as opposed to the Yisrael Beiteinu who want to send all of the Palestinians to the Korean Peninsula and take their land.

They don’t want peace talks of any kind.

Position: 15.1N 50.8W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [280°] near 23 mph [37 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 140 miles [220 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1007 mb.

Currently about 745 miles [1195 km] East of the Leeward Islands.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla, St. Maarten, Saba, and St. Eustatius.

This is the former Invest 97 that has been restrained by Saharan Air Layer [SAL] of dry air for several days. It has been a candidate for becoming a tropical depression for almost two days, and when it finally cleared the SAL it jumped directly to tropical storm status. It will probably follow the track of Danielle and Earl.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 41.4N 47.2W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: East [080°] near 16 mph [26 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 70 mph [110 kph].
Wind Gusts: 85 mph [140 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 275 miles [445 km].
Minimum central pressure: 975 mb ↑.

Currently about 475 miles [ 775 km] Southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

The storm has gone Post-tropical, so this is the final advisory. It will be absorbed by a large low over the North Atlantic.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 19.9N 65.8W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West-Northwest [300°] near 14 mph [22 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 135 mph [215 kph].
Wind Gusts: 160 mph [255 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 200 miles [325 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 70 miles [110 km].
Minimum central pressure: 938 mb ↓.

Currently about 105 miles [170 km] North of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The storm has reached Category 4, but it has moved further North away from the Leeward Islands which has resulted in major changes in the warnings and watches.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Puerto Rico, the islands of Culebra and Vieques, the Turks and Caicos Islands, British Virgin Islands, and US Virgin Islands

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the Southeastern Bahamas.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]