Holocaust Unparalleled Evil

"The Case Against God: A Lawyer Examines the Evidence." by Jack Le Moult Emil L. Fackenheim, in his book, "To Mend the World," THE HOLOCAUST With Passover approaching on April 19, I choose to remember the millions of Jews who died in the Holocaust. As a gentile, the Holocaust has always presented a serious problem for me. How could a modern, culturally rich, Christian nation carry-out such a monstrous act of evil? With all of the crimes of man, including the genocides committed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and other places, and the atrocities committed in every war, I still see the Holocaust as a horror unmatched in the history of human evil. It should never be compared to other acts of evil. Emil L. Fackenheim, in his book, "To Mend the World," said: “To link Auschwitz with Hiroshima is not to deepen or widen one’s concern with humanity and its future. It is to evade the import of Auschwitz and Hiroshima alike.” The same can be said of all of the other cataclysms suffered by humanity. Each is a separate occurrence of evil. The history of the Jews, beginning with the conquest of Israel and banishment of Jews by the Romans, is one long sorrowful testament to man’s inhumanity. The Nazis did not invent the genocide of the Jews. They merely took it to new depths of horrendous magnitude. Over the centuries before the Holocaust, the Jews experienced repeated pogroms and persecutions by Europeans and Arabs. Around the time when Columbus was sailing to America, the rulers of Spain were expelling all of the Jews from their realm. Many reasons are given for this massive persecution, but no explanation can begin to justify such evil.One frequently hears people compare things to the Holocaust. The right-wing anti-abortionists like to say that abortion is the same as the Holocaust. Such unthinking speech is morally abhorrent. How can any person compare the elimination of a not-yet-conscious, not-yet-thinking, not-yet-feeling embryo to the deliberate murder of grown, thinking, feeling human beings? At Auschwitz and other camps the Nazis used to save time and trouble by throwing live babies and small children into the ovens without gassing them first. If you cannot identify the distinction between that and abortion, you are morally numb. The excuse given by the Christian Nazis and Fascists for persecution of the Jews was usually that they were: “Christ Killers.” It is a revoltingly stupid claim. Jesus of Nazareth was killed by the Romans, yet nobody has ever wanted to exterminate the Italians. Even if it had been the Jews who killed Jesus (himself a Jew), why blame it on Jewish descendents living thousands of years later? According to the Bible, Jesus had brothers and sisters. We must assume that many of the descendents of these brothers and sisters were Jews, and that millions of Twentieth Century Jews in Europe had the blood of Jesus’ family in them. The Christians who marched Jews into the gas chambers of Auschwitz and other camps were actually murdering the descendents of Joseph, Mary, and the family of Jesus.As a gentile, I am able to find something valuable in the teaching of Emile Fackenheim. He said “To grasp the Holocaust whole-of-horror is not to comprehend or transcend it, but rather, to say no to it, or resist it.” Fackenheim said that 613 commandments were given on Mt. Sinai. He offered a 614th commandment. In effect, he said that if we forget, or minimize, or diminish the importance of the Holocaust, if gentiles engage in anti-Semitism, if Jews give-up their beliefs and culture because of the Holocaust, they will be letting Hitler gain a form of victory. He said that we must not let Hitler win. I may not share the beliefs of religious Jews, but by dedicating my life to tolerance and brotherhood, I can join in the crusade to defeat Hitler and his progeny. Jack LeMoult Gender: Male Occupation: Writer and Retired Lawyer Location: Xenia : Ohio About Me I am a 71-year-old writer and retired lawyer. I practiced law as a litigator for 37 years in New York and Connecticut. I am the author of a book newly published on Kindle entitled: "The Case Against God: A Lawyer Examines the Evidence." It can be read by anybody having a Kindle or Kindle-type device such as iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Mac phone etc. During the 1980's I wrote a regular column on the law and related subjects for the Greenwich News and other papers in Connecticut and Massachusetts. I then wrote a column in the Westport Minuteman and later wrote a humor column for the Connecticut Law Tribune. In 2001, I moved out to Xenia, Ohio. I worked as a caselaw editor for LexisNexis of Miamisburg Ohio until 2005. In about 2003, I began writing a column for the Xenia Daily Gazette and affiliated newspapers. I created this Blog for the purpose of posting some of my newspaper columns, and my current thoughts. Interests Interests Writing Religion Politics Literature History Philosophy Psychology Law Art Classical Music Favorite Movies The Godfather parts I II and III; Patton; Braveheart; Casablanca; Goodfellas; The Longest Day; Tora Tora Tora; The Bourne Identity; The Bourne Supremacy; The Bourne Ultimatum; Fargo; Gladiator; Shindler's List; Blazing Saddles; Young Frankenstein; Airplane; The Exorcist; The Omen I II and III; Cabaret; The Silence of the Lambs; Amadeus; Gigi; On the Waterfront; Gandhi; The French Connection; Lawrence of Arabia; West Side Story; The Dream Team; The Inlaws; The Sting; Reds; Oliver; The Graduate; Tom Jones; Giant; Doctor Strangelove;The Quiet Man; Gone With the Wind; The Wizard of Oz; Viva Zapata; My Cousin Vinny; Psycho; A Passage to India; Rosemary's Baby; Bonnie and Clyde; others Favorite Music Beethoven's Emperor Concerto-the Slow Movement The Moonlight Sonata The Nine Symphonies; Shubert's Unfinished Symphony Serenade; Vivaldi's Four Seasons Gloria; Debussy Clair de Lune; Dvorak Romance for Violin and Orchestra in F minor The New World Symphony; Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor; Barber Adagio for Strings; Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture Capriccio Italiano Swan Lake Overture to Romeo and Juliet; Juan Crisostomo Arriaga Overture to Los Esclavos Felices; Offenbach The Barcarolle from Tales of Hoffmann; Rossini Overture to The Thieving Magpie The William Tell overture Overture to The Girl from Algiers; Handel "Unto Us a Child is Born " "Hallelujah Chorus" from the Messiah; Water Music Fireworks Music; Grieg Peer Gynt Suite; Puccini "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot; Saint-Saens Violin Concerto No. 3 Danse Macabre Carnival of the Animals; Mozart Symphonies A Little Night Music Piano Concertos Requium other works; Feure Requium; Smetana Ma Vlast (The Moldau); Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherezade; Sibelius Finlandia; Orff Carmina Burana; Johann Strauss II Waltzes Overture to Die Fledermaus: Franz Lehar Waltzes; Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue; Performances by Neil Diamond Elton John Billy Joel Maureen McGovern Katherine McPhee Barbara Streisand John Denver Perry Como Michael Buble Celine Dione Carley Simon Simon and Garfinkle Willie Nelson Waylon Jennings. Also the songs: "Send in the Clowns " "The Rose " "The Music of the Night" from Phantom "Memories" from Cats "Have You Ever Loved a Woman " "Hear the Band " "Lady Let me take a look at you now " "Let Your Love Flow" by Collin Raye and the Bellamy Bros. "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys "Hotel California" by the Eagles; Music from West Side Story Les Misarables Fiddler on the Roof Phantom of the Opera Gigi Showboat Oklahoma Carousel South Pacific Kiss Me Kate Camalot My Fair Lady The Sound of Music many others. Favorite Books I have lists of recommended fiction and nonfiction books which I will post on the blog. The excuse given by the Christian Nazis and Fascists for persecution of the Jews was usually that they were: “Christ Killers.” It is a revoltingly stupid claim. Jesus of Nazareth was killed by the Romans, yet nobody has ever wanted to exterminate the Italians. Even if it had been the Jews who killed Jesus (himself a Jew), why blame it on Jewish descendents living thousands of years later? According to the Bible, Jesus had brothers and sisters. We must assume that many of the descendents of these brothers and sisters were Jews, and that millions of Twentieth Century Jews in Europe had the blood of Jesus’ family in them. The Christians who marched Jews into the gas chambers of Auschwitz and other camps were actually murdering the descendents of Joseph, Mary, and the family of Jesus.As a gentile, I am able to find something valuable in the teaching of Emile Fackenheim. He said “To grasp the Holocaust whole-of-horror is not to comprehend or transcend it, but rather, to say no to it, or resist it.” Fackenheim said that 613 commandments were given on Mt. Sinai. He offered a 614th commandment. In effect, he said that if we forget, or minimize, or diminish the importance of the Holocaust, if gentiles engage in anti-Semitism, if Jews give-up their beliefs and culture because of the Holocaust, they will be letting Hitler gain a form of victory. He said that we must not let Hitler win. Friday, March 11, 2011 The Case Against God My book, "The Case Against God: A Lawyer Examines the Evidence," has now been published by Amazon on Kindle. This means that anybody owning a Kindle or a device with Kindle applications such as iPad, iPhone, PC phone, Mac phone, Blackberry, Android phone, and Windows 7 phone can buy my book for $5.00. The book is a discussion about whether God exists from the point of view of a nonbeliever. In it I have explored The Old Testament, The New Testament, and the teachings of and about Jesus. I have researched all of the leading biblical and theological experts and I present the facts found by them. I also discuss the arguments of philosophers for the existence of God, the dispute between science and religion, the so-called “Intelligent Design” theory, the problem of evil, and the question of why so many people believe in God. Even if you don’t agree with my views about God, I hope that if you have a Kindle-type device, you will get the book and read it. Whether or not you agree, it is very informative and will greatly increase your knowledge of the Bible and religion. Posted by Jack LeMoult at 7:17 AM 0 comments

OH THOSE JEWS,THOSE JEWS II

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The Jewish people were slaves in Egypt, and could not defend themselves from Pharaoh’s armies. Only when they were freed from Egypt, only when they could escape the exploitation, only when they saved themselves, could they reach the Land of Israel and be a sovereign and free nation in their land. Only then was Jewish existence ensured.” Passover begins at sundown Monday, April 18. (jpost.com) Egypt: Hundreds protest outside Israeli consulate in Alexandria Hundreds of Egyptians protested in front of the Israeli consulate in Alexandria on Thursday (14th) and called for the launch of a “third intifada.” Egyptian security forces were deployed to the area. (ynetnews.com) Syria shows protestors as collaborators with Israel The opposition website in Syria published a document on Thursday (14th) which, it claimed, was instructions from the management of Syrian intelligence on how to deal with protests, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MRMRI). One of the instructions was to portray protesters as collaborators with Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United States. Further instructions were to accuse them of extremism with the use of weapons and to promote factional fear by attacking their houses of worship. The document also recommended that the army hold its fire and let snipers fire at demonstrators. Some of the instructions, according to MEMRI, coordinated the activities of state-run Syrian media. (israelnationalnews.com) U.S. will invite Netanyahu to address Congress U.S. House Speaker John Boehner will invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress during a visit to Washington in May, Boehner’s office announced on Thursday (14th). Boehner will extend the formal invitation once Congress approves a resolution providing for the joint session, Boehner’s office said in a statement. (ynetnews.com) Hamas: Israeli MK Zoabi: Hamas entitled to fire rockets On Al-Qassam website, Arab member of the Israeli parliament, Hamin Zoabi said that Hamas and other Palestinian resistance factions are entitled to fire rockets for the sake of attaining their people’s freedom. The Israeli parliament had withdrawn Zoabi’s diplomatic passport and other privileges after charging her with “betraying Israel” by participating in the Freedom Flotilla last year that was trying to break the blockade on Gaza. (imra.org) Jews demonized, martyrdom praised in PA textbooks – Joshua Hamerman The Palestinian Authority still has a long way to go before textbooks in its schools begin to teach true co-existence with Israel’s Jews, according to a study released Tuesday (12th) by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE). The organization reviewed 118 textbooks currently used in Palestinian schools and 22 teacher guides distributed by the PA Ministry of Education. “There is generally a total denial of the existence of Israel – and if there is an Israeli presence it is usually extremely negative,” said Eldad Pardo, head of IMPACT-SE’s Palestinian textbook research group and a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In geography textbooks, Israel usually does not appear in maps of the Middle East; instead “Palestine” is shown to encompass Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. Jewish cities such as Tel Aviv are not shown. One textbook included a map of the Old City of Jerusalem – which did not contain the Jewish Quarter. No Israeli is depicted as a friend or partner, the Oslo accords are rarely mentioned, and political agreements in general are presented as resulting from Arab and Muslim weakness. The bulk of funding for PA textbooks comes from the EU. (jpost.com) Pushed by Goldstone, Israeli army embraces new “smart” warfare – Leslie Susser Despite Israel’s rejection of the Goldstone report on the Gaza war, the international criticism it engendered has led the Israel Defense Forces to make a number of significant changes in policy and doctrine. Among the changes were modifying the way soldiers fight in urban areas, teaching relatively low-level combat officers nuances in the laws of war, attaching humanitarian liaison officers to active forces, and making media relations a priority. Part of the solution lies in technology: using super-accurate munitions that can pinpoint terrorist targets, and pilotless-planes that can identify and attack would-be rocket launchers. The new Iron Dome anti-missile system simultaneously locates rocket launch points, enabling immediate attacks on them. (jta.org) Israel to arm combat soldiers with cameras The Israeli military is studying the wide distribution of cameras to soldiers as a tool to make its case to the world. There has long been a strong feeling in Israel that the world did not understand the difficulty Israel sustains in fighting militants who locate themselves among civilians. (ap.org) The Palestinians’ own goal – Khaled Abu Toameh The recent assassination of Juliano Mer-Khamis, a well-known Israeli Arab actor who moved to the West Bank to help Palestinians establish a theater, has seriously embarrassed the Palestinian Authority. The Western-backed PA chooses to endorse anti-normalization campaigns with Israel, paving the way for threats and violence against well-meaning people like Mer-Khamis, who are trying to promote understanding and tolerance between Arabs and Jews. Mer-Khamis, who was born to a Jewish mother and was a Christian Arab citizen of Israel, was trying to promote cultural activities as an alternative to suicide bombings and terror. In the past, Mer-Khamis received death threats from Palestinians who did not like his activities and mere presence. The theater he managed was firebombed twice and leaflets distributed by Palestinian activists made it clear that he would be liquidated one day. (Hudson institute – New York) (Hudson.org) McCormick stopping spice sales to Iran BALTIMORE – Spice giant McCormick has agreed to stop selling its spices to Iran, following the efforts of a Baltimore Jewish activist. Jay Berstein, an attorney and community activist, read in the New York Times last December that despite sanctions against Iran, the U.S. Treasury was allocating licenses to American companies to conduct business with the Islamic republic. One of those companies, he learned, was the Baltimore-based McCormick & Co., founded by a Jewish immigrant in 1889. In January, Berstein wrote to Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, and a McCormick board member, asking him to “exert” his influence on the company to “do the right thing and end all business with and in Iran.” Shortly after, he received word that McCormick would “cease such sales as long as Iran is subject to the comprehensive sanctions programs imposed by the U.S. government.” (jpost.com) Taxpayers in Australian town won’t foot $3M Israel boycott bill – Stephanie Gardiner The mayor of Marrickville insists taxpayers will not foot a $3M bill to help it comply with a proposed boycott on products from Israel. The Greens-dominated local council voted for the boycott on Dec. 14, 2010, but the boycott could cost taxpayers $3 million to replace all of the authority’s Hewlett Packard computer systems. The Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement claims that Hewlett Packard technology is used at Israeli military checkpoints. (Sydney Morning Herald-Australia) (smh.com.au) Posted by http://foi.org/profile.aspx?username=webmaster@foi.org at 6:49 AM Thursday, April 14, 2011 Peres visits south – says ‘proud of Iron-Dome’ President Shimon Peres visited Kibbutz Erez, a Gaza vicinity community on Wednesday (13th), and met with the driver of the school bus who was wounded when his bus was hit by a rocket last Thursday (7th). Peres hailed the success of the Iron Dome defense system, saying he was proud of the fact that Israel was the first nation to come up with such a defensive answer to rockets. (ynetnews.com) New Hamas weapon alters strategic balance along Gaza-Israel border – Leland Vittert Hamas’ recent use of a Russian-made, laser-guided anti-tank missile against a school bus marks a clear change in the strategic balance along the Gaza-Israeli border, putting in danger tens of thousands of Israelis who drive on roads with a line-of-sight view from Gaza. Hamas has now shown a willingness to use a next-generation weapon against a civilian target. “Everybody should bear in mind that if this missile would have been fired five minutes before (when the bus was filled with children), we would have been witnessing a full-scale war between Israel and the Gaza Strip today,” said Israeli security expert Ronen Bergman. (foxnews.com) 4 killed in Gaza Strip tunnel collapse Four people were killed Tuesday (12th) and at least five injured in the collapse of a tunnel in southern Gaza, a Palestinian source reported. The accident occurred in Rafah near the Egyptian border in a tunnel that had been bombed by the Israeli army Friday (8th). (Agence French Presse) (afp.com) Fayyad advisor dismisses Palestinian missile attack on school bus – Itamar Marcus and Nan Jaques Zilberdik Political advisor to PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Omar Al-Ghoul, told PA TV on April 8: “The school bus wasn’t that badly damaged but Israel wants to use the attack on the bus as an excuse for its latest war crimes against our people.” (palwatch.org) Red Cross reportedly asked Hamas to show sign of life from Shalit Red Cross officials have reportedly met with Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal in Damascus and asked him to provide proof that captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit is alive. Hamas is said to be considering the idea of showing a ‘sign of life’ from Shalit to put pressure on Israel to resume negotiations for the release of Palestinian prisoners. Up to this point the Red Cross has been denied access to Shalit. (iba.org.il) Palestinians seek $5B for 3-year development Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will brief Western representatives in Brussels this week on his bid for nearly $5B in investment to launch a Palestinian state. The Palestinian Authority’s three-year development plan, obtained by Reuters requires $1.467 billion this year, $1.754 billion in 2012, and $1.596 billion for 2013. (reuters.com) Israel speeds production of Iron-Dome anti-missile defense system – Anshel Pfeffer Israel plans to have a third Iron Dome missile defense system ready for use within six months and three more ready by the end of 2012. Prime Minister Netanyahu announced this week he planned to allocate funding immediately for four more Iron-Dome batteries, rather than waiting for the more than $200 million recently approved by the U.S. Congress for missile defense. The air force estimates that up to 13 anti-missile batteries are needed to provide maximum protection in the north and the south. (haaretz.com) Islamists in Egypt moving toward center stage – Arnaud de Borchgrave In Cairo, the latest conventional wisdom sees a groundswell of Islamist fundamentalism cloaked in moderate colors moving adroitly center stage. Following elections in the fall, the Muslim Brotherhood is expected to deliver about 40% of the vote, possibly even a majority. Behind Cairo’s political stage, says one ranking Egyptian on a private visit to Washington, Iran’s mullahs and Egypt’s Brothers are unobtrusively sidling up. The Obama administration now backs a role for the Brotherhood in a reformed Egyptian government on the condition that it “rejects violence and recognizes democratic goals.” But it would be terminally naïve to expect a friendly bunch of Muslim Brothers on good terms with U.S. diplomats. In one of his weekly sermons last year, Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie displayed his colors: “Arab and Muslin regimes are betraying their people by failing to confront the Muslims’ real enemies, not only Israel, but also the United States. Waging ‘jihad’ against both of these infidels is a commandment of Allah that cannot be disregarded.” He titled his sermon: “The U.S. is Now Experiencing the Beginning of the End.” (washingtontimes.com) Christians begin to flee Egypt A growing number of Egypt’s 8-10 million Coptic Christians are looking for a way to get out of the country as Islamists increasingly take advantage of the nationalist revolution that toppled long-standing dictator Hosni Mubarak in February. Egypt Daily News reported on Tuesday (12th) that “lawyers who specialize in working with Coptic Egyptians say that in the past few weeks they have received hundreds of calls from Copts wanting to leave Egypt.” “They are insisting on leaving because the risks of staying here are too great,” Naguib Gabriel, a Coptic human rights lawyer told the Daily News. “Many Christians are afraid of the future because of the fanatics in the mosques.” At least 20 Christians have been killed in sectarian violence with Muslims since Mubarak’s ouster. (israeltoday.co.il) IDF medical team sent to Belarus The IDF will send a team of three military doctors to Belarus to aid in the aftermath of the deadly metro bombing in Minsk that claimed the lives of at least 12 people, the IDF spokesperson said on Tuesday (12th). The medical team is being sent in response to a request by the Belarus government and will deal primarily with victims suffering from post-traumatic stress. (jpost.com) Posted by http://foi.org/profile.aspx?username=webmaster@foi.org at 6:46 AM Wednesday, April 13, 2011 Condition of teen injured in bus rocket attack worsens Sixteen year old Daniel Wipliech, who was seriously injured in last week’s rocket attack on an Israeli school bus in southern Israel, has taken a turn for the worse. The Soroka Medical center said he is now in critical condition. Wipliech suffered severe head trauma and is presently in a coma with no signs of responsiveness or brain activity. (jta.org) Israel asks UN to condemn rocket attacks – Jordana Horn Israeli Ambassador to the UN Meron Reuben has written to the Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, expressing “grave concern” over the recent escalation in rocket and mortar attacks by Palestinians and stating that Israel holds Hamas “fully responsible.” Since April 7, terrorists in Gaza have fired 12 Grad missiles, 70 Kassam rockets, and 49 mortars at communities in Israel. “Attacks emanating from the Gaza Strip constitute a clear violation of international law,” he wrote, referencing six previous letters on the topic. (jpost.com) Hamas strategists paying heavy price for miscalculations – Yigal Wait Hamas’ first miscalculation was the failure to estimate Israel’s response to the missile attack on an Israeli school bus Thursday (7th). Gaza terrorists were counting on the “Goldstone effect” to tamper any punishing Israeli strikes on Gaza. What was worse for Hamas was the current round of fighting which coincided with the West’s campaign against Gaddafi. NATO forces have been bombing a foreign country, Libya, in order to prevent murderous attacks on civilians – the same logic behind Israel’s strikes against Gaza terrorists. If the West wishes to adopt the Libya logic in Gaza as well, it will be bombing Hamas. Israel’s incessant strikes on Gaza targets were met with a rather deafening global silence. If all that wasn’t enough, Israel deployed the Iron Dome anti-rocket system earlier than expected, shooting down virtually every Gaza missile threatening Israeli population centers. Hamas’ missiles have largely hit nothing, landing in empty fields or being blown to pieces in midair. During the same time, some 20 terrorists were killed in Gaza, dozens of others were wounded, and assorted targets across the Strip were destroyed. (ynetnews.com) PM’s Office: Shalit deal must not risk Israeli citizens The Israel Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement Tuesday (12th) in response to the press conference held by former security officials who called for immediate release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. “The lessons of the past show us that dozens of Israelis were murdered in terror attacks perpetrated by terrorists who were released from prison in similar deals, such as the Jibril agreement. The prime minister insists that any deal reached between the sides poses no risk to the citizens of Israel.” (ynetnews.com) Israeli car hit by gunfire near village of Azun – no injuries An Israeli vehicle was hit by gunfire while traveling outside the village of Azun near Kalkilya. The driver told security forces he thought his vehicle was being hit by rocks, but an investigation revealed that the vehicle was hit by gunshots. No injuries were reported. (israelnationalnews.com) Israel continues supplying Gaza despite missiles Debunking accusations that it is keeping the Gaza Strip under siege, the Israeli army on Monday (11th) published figures regarding the enormous amount of material it permitted to enter Gaza during March, despite escalating terrorist missile fire. During the month of March, 3,656 trucks carrying food, medical supplies and other goods entered Gaza via southern Israel. It should be remember that the people of Gaza are receiving this enormous amount of goods completely free of charge. Unfortunately, much of it is subsequently stolen by Hamas and sold to the local people at extremely high rates to perpetuate the notion that Gazans are living under siege and are in lack of basic needs. (israeltoday.co.il) Iran blames Zionists/West for Syrian protests Anti-government demonstrations in Syria are part of a plot by the West to undermine a government that supports “resistance” in the Middle East, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday (12th). At his weekly news conference on Tuesday (12th), Iran’s spokesman said the protests in Syria over the last three weeks, in which 200 people died according to a rights group, was not a spontaneous event but the result of foreign interference. Syria is Iran’s closest Arab ally. “What is happening in Syria is a mischievous act of Westerners, particularly Americans and Zionists,” Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters. (reuters.com) Lebanese minister: Israel is the enemy of all Arabs Lebanese Economy and trade Minister Mohammad Safadi said that all of Lebanon considers Israel its enemy, Lebanon’s Daily Star reported on Tuesday (12th). “Lebanese of different political factions unanimously view Israel as the enemy of Lebanon, Palestinians, and Arabs,” Safadi reportedly said to the Palestinian Ambassador to Lebanon, Abdullah Abdullah. Safadi also said that Arab awareness against Israel should be raised. (jpost.com) Report: IHH to delay flotilla until after Turkish elections The Turkish IHH organization has said it will delay its participation in the upcoming flotilla to Gaza scheduled for June, until after elections in Turkey, Israel Radio reported Tuesday (12th). According to the report, the group will wait to see what the outcome of the June elections are before deciding to send the Mavi Marmara ship to Gaza. (jpost.com) Israeli delegation returns from Japan The Israeli army medical team dispatched to Japan in the wake of last month’s mammoth earthquake and tsunami returned home on Tuesday (12th) following two weeks of aiding the local population in the devastated northern region of Japan. During their stay, the Israeli team treated 220 people at a special emergency clinic built especially for the Israelis. The Israeli team left behind the bulk of their medical equipment for local Japanese doctors to use. Japanese authorities honored the Israelis in a farewell ceremony on Sunday evening (10th). The team was highly praised by Japan for its professionalism and ability to rapidly adapt to the local situation. (israeltoday.co.il) Posted by http://foi.org/profile.aspx?username=webmaster@foi.org at 6:00 AM Tuesday, April 12, 2011 World impressed with Iron Dome anti-missile system The head of the Israeli army’s research and development division told Army Radio on Sunday (10th) that there is growing interest worldwide in Israel’s new “Iron Dome” anti-missile system. The first two Iron Dome batteries were deployed in southern Israel late last month amid escalating terrorist missile fire from the Gaza Strip. During a weekend barrage from Gaza, the Iron Dome batteries succeeded in downing all but one of the missiles fired at the coastal city of Ashkelon. The Israeli army and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the performance a resounding success. “The system’s success has spread throughout the world, including in the European countries that I visited,” Netanyahu told his cabinet Sunday (10th). But Israel is not ready to start selling the system just yet, as it must first be perfected to defend Israeli citizens. Netanyahu cautioned on Sunday (10th) that even with additional batteries, the threat of Gaza missiles cannot be completely eliminated. (israeltoday.co.il) Israel claims that Russian missile hit school bus A diplomatic crisis is threatening Israel-Russian relations after the Kornet, a Russian-made anti-tank missile, hit an Israeli school bus driving near Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council last Thursday (7th). Israel protested the fact that a Russian missile found its way to Hamas and was used for a terror attack against the Jewish State, Yediot Ahronot reported. Unlike many other means of warfare the manufacturing of the Kornet is only permitted inside Russia, so any Kornet missile sold outside the country originates from the country’s KBP factory. Israel claims that the anti-tank missile which hit the school bus was sold by the Russians to Syria. At the time, Syria passed its weapons on to Hizbullah, who smuggled them into the Gaza Strip, finally ending up in Hamas hands. (ynetnews.com) Gaza rocket-threat forces fans from two games in Israel – Ori Lewis Israeli police barred spectators from attending two Premier League matches in southern Israel on Saturday (9th) because of a fear of possible rocket strikes by Palestinians in Gaza. The cities of Beersheba (over 18 miles from Gaza), and Ashdod (over 9 miles north of the Strip), have been hit in the past few days by rockets. The games were played in empty stadiums. Residents of southern Israel, close to Gaza, have been instructed to be ready to seek cover in air-raid shelters within seconds of sirens sounding. Two years of periodic, low-level skirmishing on the border escalated suddenly last month when Islamist Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza showered rockets on Israel. (reuters.com) Terrorists firing from cemetery On Friday, (8th) Gaza militants were spotted by Israel Air Force drones in a Gaza cemetery immediately after they fired rockets at Israel. Four mortar shells fired from the cemetery, located in Sajaiya, hit the Israeli community of Nahal Oz. The drones were equipped with cameras and shot footage of the rocket-squad in action. (Israel Defense Forces) (idfspokesperson.com) Egypt stops building anti-smuggling wall on Gaza border – Yaakov Katz Following the revolution in February, Egypt suspended construction of an underground steel wall along the Egypt-Gaza border to stop weapons-smuggling through tunnels into Gaza defense officials said. While smugglers succeeded in breeching the wall in some parts, Israeli officials said the wall had made it more difficult for smugglers to dig tunnels across the border. Israel has urged Cairo to continue taking action to prevent the flow of arms to Gaza. “There is a new relationship between Hamas and Cairo today,” one senior official said. “This is likely connected to the upcoming elections and the understanding in Egypt that the Muslim Brotherhood is a strong player and as a result it is important to maintain contacts with Hamas.” Israel is worried that Cairo’s new relationship with Hamas will come at the expense of its relationship with Israel. It is also concerned that Egypt will turn a blind eye to the movement of weaponry, cash and people across the border. (jpost.com) U.S. Black students demand Arabs stop calling Israel ‘apartheid’ The African-American student organization Vanguard Leadership Group is standing with Israel when it comes to the use of the term ‘apartheid.’ The term is “false and deeply offensive” when applied to Israel, the group said in advertisements published on Thursday (7th). The Vanguard Leadership Group spoke out in response to “apartheid” claims from the group Students for Justice in Palestine. Under an ad titled, “Words Matter,” the group said, “We request that you immediately stop referring to Israel as an apartheid society and to acknowledge that the Arab minority in Israel enjoys full citizenship with voting rights and representation in the government.” “It is highly objectionable to those who know the truth about the Israelis’ record on human rights and how it so clearly contrasts with South Africa’s,” the group said. “Students for Justice in Palestine “has chosen to manipulate rather than inform with this illegitimate analogy,” Vanguard Leadership said. “Decency, justice, and the hope of peace and reconciliation in the Middle East compel us to demand an immediate cessation to the deliberate mischaracterizations of Israel.” Ceasing use of the term “apartheid” when discussing Israel would be a “first step toward raising the level of discourse,” the letter concluded. (israelnationalnews.com) The Fogel murders: A call to combat incitement – David Pollock Incitement to violence has returned to the front burner. On March 11, the Fogel family was massacred in the Jewish settlement of Itamar, prompting large numbers of U.S. senators and congressmen to press senior U.S. officials to take steps to end incitement. Palestinian officials published their own list of Israeli acts of “incitement,” featuring calls by a rabbi and several journalists for a response to, or revenge for the Itamar murders. However, the list lacks examples of any Israeli leader, government official, or government-sponsored publication, advocating or condoning violence against Palestinians. It was the Palestinian Ministry of Information that disseminated an article by a deputy minister claiming that the Jews have no historical connection to the Western Wall. PA television alleges that the Israel Prison Service tortures prisoners with hot irons, amputates limbs, and harvests organs. PA television also perpetuated the libel that the deranged Australian Christian who attempted to set fire to the al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969 was Jewish and supported by the Israeli government. The issue of incitement presents the U.S. with an opportunity. With process on the peace process virtually nonexistent, and the risk for violence increasing, a resumption of the trilateral anti-incitement committee would give Israelis and Palestinians the chance to meet face-to-face and commit to a common cause. Such talks should concentrate narrowly on official incitement by government officials and institutions under government authority or funding. (Washington Institute for Near East Policy) (washingtoninstitute.org) Netanyahu: Iran’s nuclear program has accelerated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday (11th) that Iran’s nuclear program has accelerated recently as it appears Iran feels less international pressure, Israel Radio reported. Netanyahu, speaking to EU ambassadors to Israel, also commented on the recent conflict that has broken out along Israel’s border with Gaza, saying that Hamas deliberately fired a rocket at the school bus that was hit last Thursday (7th), and that it was a criminal act. No country can accept such action and Israel will protect its citizens, the prime minister continued. He also requested the European delegates to do what is possible to prevent nationals from taking part in the flotilla to Gaza scheduled for mid-June. (jpost.com) French Jew attacked outside of synagogue Paris – A 21-year-old student was violently beaten near his synagogue after admitting to his attacker that he was Jewish. After leaving a synagogue in the southern town of Villeurbanne, near Lyon, on April 7, the victim was confronted by two men in their early 20s who insulted him and asked him if he was Jewish. When the victim, whose name has not been released, did not deny his religious affiliation, the two men attacked him in the head and upper body with a pellet gun and a club, according to police reports. The victim was hospitalized and treated for head, stomach, and arm wounds. Police are still searching for the attackers. (jta.org) Ukrainian synagogue vandalized again Vandals struck the synagogue in a northeastern Ukraine city for the fifth time in as many years, recently. Late in the evening on April 4, two cans of red paint were splashed on the walls of the synagogue in Sumy. The synagogue was also attacked three months ago. Alexsander Goron, Chairman of Sumy’s Jewish Community said that “At best the incidents are typical anti-Semitism and dislike of Jews - at worst it’s an ideology – a policy.” (jta.org) Posted by http://foi.org/profile.aspx?username=webmaster@foi.org at 7:11 AM

OH THOSE JEWS THOSE JEWS

From: Udall, Janet [mailto:JUdall@republicmedia.com] Sent: Thursday, April 142011 11:39 AMTo: Pattie Coleman; WILLIAM COLEMAN; Johnson, Joan; Joy Keeney; Mel JohnsonSubject: FW: ALL EUROPEAN LIFE DIED IN AUSCHWITZ Something to ponder. Love, Janet From: Johnson, Anja Leah Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2011 4:50 PMTo: Terrill, Zoe; Udall, Janet; LaBarge, Joanne; 'Bonnie Baker'; ; ; jlrdrraz; Judy.McDarby@gmail.com; mmichelle@cox.net; PBurris155@aol.com; praisesinginglady@cox.netSubject: ALL EUROPEAN LIFE DIED IN AUSCHWITZ >> > Subject: ALL EUROPEAN LIFE DIED IN AUSCHWITZ> >> >This aritcle is more than 3 years old, but it's still very true.> >xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> >> >The following is a copy of an article written by Spanish writer > >Sebastian Vilar Rodriguez and published in a Spanish newspaper on > >Jan. 15, 2008. It doesn't take much imagination to extrapolate the > >message to the rest of Europe - and possibly to the rest of the world.> >> >REMEMBER AS YOU READ -- IT WAS IN A SPANISH PAPER> >Date: Tue. 15 January 2008 14:30> >> >ALL EUROPEAN LIFE DIED IN AUSCHWITZ By Sebastian Vilar Rodrigez> >> >I walked down the street in Barcelona and suddenly discovered a > >terrible truth - Europe died in Auschwitz .. We killed six million > >Jews and replaced them with 20 million Muslims. In Auschwitz we > >burned a culture, thought, creativity, talent. We destroyed the > >chosen people, truly chosen, because they produced great and > >wonderful people who changed the world.> >> >The contribution of this people is felt in all areas of life: > >science, art, international trade, and above all, as the conscience > >of the world. These are the people we burned.> >> >And under the pretense of tolerance, and because we wanted to prove > >to ourselves that we were cured of the disease of racism, we opened > >our gates to 20 million Muslims, who brought us stupidity and > >ignorance, religious extremism and lack of tolerance, crime and > >poverty, due to an unwillingness to work and support their families > >with pride.> >> >They have blown up our trains and turned our beautiful Spanish > >cities into the third world, drowning in filth and crime.> >> >Shut up in the apartments they receive free from the government, > >they plan the murder and destruction of their naive hosts.> >> >And thus, in our misery, we have exchanged culture for fanatical > >hatred, creative skill for destructive skill, intelligence for > >backwardness and superstition.> >> >We have exchanged the pursuit of peace of the Jews of Europe and > >their talent for a better future for their children, their > >determined clinging to life because life is holy, for those who > >pursue death, for people consumed by the desire for death for > >themselves and others, for our children and theirs.> >> >What a terrible mistake was made by miserable Europe ....> >*****************************************************> >> >The Global Islamic population is approximately 1,200,000,000; that > >is ONE BILLION TWO HUNDRED MILLION or 20% of the world's population. > >They have received the following Nobel Prizes:> >Literature:> >1988 - Najib Mahfooz> >> >Peace:> >1978 - Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat> >1990 - Elias James Corey> >1994 - Yaser Arafat:> >1999 - Ahmed Zewai> >> >Economics:> >(zero)> >> >Physics:> >(zero)> >> >Medicine:> >1960 - Peter Brian Medawar> >1998 - Ferid Mourad> >> >TOTAL: 7 SEVEN> >> >The Global Jewish population is approximately 14,000,000; that is > >FOURTEEN MILLION or about 0.02% of the world's population. They have > >received the following Nobel Prizes:> >> >Literature:> >1910 - Paul Heyse> >1927 - Henri Bergson> >1958 - Boris Pasternak> >1966 - Shmuel Yosef Agnon> >1966 - Nelly Sachs> >1976 - Saul Bellow> >1978 - Isaac Bashevis Singer> >1981 - Elias Canetti> >1987 - Joseph Brodsky> >1991 - Nadine Gordimer World> >> >Peace:> >1911 - Alfred Fried> >1911 - Tobias Michael Carel Asser> >1968 - Rene Cassin> >1973 - Henry Kissinger> >1978 - Menachem Begin> >1986 - Elie Wiesel> >1994 - Shimon Peres> >1994 - Yitzhak Rabin> >> >Physics:> >1905 - Adolph Von Baeyer> >1906 - Henri Moissan> >1907 - Albert Abraham Michelson> >1908 - Gabriel Lippmann> >1910 - Otto Wallach> >1915 - Richard Willstaetter> >1918 - Fritz Haber> >1921 - Albert Einstein> >1922 - Niels Bohr> >1925 - James Franck> >1925 - Gustav Hertz> >1943 - Gustav Stern> >1943 - George Charles de Hevesy> >1944 - Isidor Issac Rabi> >1952 - Felix Bloch> >1954 - Max Born> >1958 - Igor Tamm> >1959 - Emilio Segre> >1960 - Donald A. Glaser> >1961 - Robert Hofstadter> >1961 - Melvin Calvin> >1962 - Lev Davidovich Landau> >1962 - Max Ferdinand Perutz> >1965 - Richard Phillips Feynman> >1965 - Julian Schwinger> >1969 - Murray Gell-Mann> >1971 - Dennis Gabor> >1972 - William Howard Stein> >1973 - Brian David Josephson> >1975 - Benjamin Mottleson> >1976 - Burton Richter> >1977 - Ilya Prigogine> >1978 - Arno Allan Penzias> >1978 - Peter L Kapitza> >1979 - Stephen Weinberg> >1979 - Sheldon Glashow> >1979 - Herbert Charles Brown> >1980 - Paul Berg> >1980 - Walter Gilbert> >1981 - Roald Hoffmann> >1982 - Aaron Klug> >1985 - Albert A. Hauptman> >1985 - Jerome Karle> >1986 - Dudley R. Herschbach> >1988 - Robert Huber> >1988 - Leon Lederman> >1988 - Melvin Schwartz> >1988 - Jack Steinberger> >1989 - Sidney Altman> >1990 - Jerome Friedman> >1992 - Rudolph Marcus> >1995 - Martin Perl> >2000 - Alan J. Heeger> >> >Economics:> >1970 - Paul Anthony Samuelson> >1971 - Simon Kuznets> >1972 - Kenneth Joseph Arrow> >1975 - Leonid Kantorovich> >1976 - Milton Friedman> >1978 - Herbert A. Simon> >1980 - Lawrence Robert Klein> >1985 - Franco Modigliani> >1987 - Robert M. Solow> >1990 - Harry Markowitz> >1990 - Merton Miller> >1992 - Gary Becker> >1993 - Robert Fogel> >> >Medicine:> >1908 - Elie Metchnikoff> >1908 - Paul Erlich> >1914 - Robert Barany> >1922 - Otto Meyerhof> >1930 - Karl Landsteiner> >1931 - Otto Warburg> >1936 - Otto Loewi> >1944 - Joseph Erlanger> >1944 - Herbert Spencer Gasser> >1945 - Ernst Boris Chain> >1946 - Hermann Joseph Muller> >1950 - Tadeus Reichstein> >1952 - Selman Abraham Waksman> >1953 - Hans Krebs> >1953 - Fritz Albert Lipmann> >1958 - Joshua Lederberg> >1959 - Arthur Kornberg> >1964 - Konrad Bloch> >1965 - Francois Jacob> >1965 - Andre Lwoff> >1967 - George Wald> >1968 - Marshall W. Nirenberg> >1969 - Salvador Luria> >1970 - Julius Axelrod> >1970 - Sir Bernard Katz> >1972 - Gerald Maurice Edelman> >1975 - Howard Martin Temin> >1976 - Baruch S. Blumberg> >1977 - Roselyn Sussman Yalow> >1978 - Daniel Nathans> >1980 - Baruj Benacerraf> >1984 - Cesar Milstein> >1985 - Michael Stuart Brown> >1985 - Joseph L. Goldstein> >1986 - Stanley Cohen [& Rita Levi-Montalcini]> >1988 - Gertrude Elion> >1989 - Harold Varmus> >1991 - Erwin Neher> >1991 - Bert Sakmann> >1993 - Richard J. Roberts> >1993 - Phillip Sharp> >1994 - Alfred Gilman> >1995 - Edward B. Lewis> >1996- Lu RoseIacovino> >TOTAL: 129!> >> >> >The Jews are NOT promoting brain washing children in military > >training camps, teaching them how to blow themselves up and cause > >maximum deaths of Jews and other non Muslims.. The Jews don't hijack > >planes, nor kill athletes at the Olympics, or blow themselves up in > >German restaurants. There is NOT one single Jew who has destroyed a > >church. There is NOT a single Jew who protests by killing people.> >> >The Jews don't traffic slaves, nor have leaders calling for Jihad > >and death to all the Infidels.> >> >Perhaps the world's Muslims should consider investing more in > >standard education and less in blaming the Jews for all their problems.> >> >Muslims must ask 'what can they do for humankind' before they demand > >that humankind respects them.> >> >Regardless of your feelings about the crisis between Israel and the > >Palestinians and Arab neighbors, even if you believe there is more > >culpability on Israel's part, the following two sentences really say it> all:> >> >'If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more > >violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be > >no more Israel ." Benjamin Netanyahu> >> >General Eisenhower Warned Us It is a matter of history that when the > >Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight Eisenhower, > >found the victims of the death camps he ordered all possible > >photographs to be taken, and for the German people from surrounding > >villages to be ushered through the camps and even made to bury the dead.> >> >He did this because he said in words to this effect:> >> >'Get it all on record now - get the films - get the witnesses - > >because somewhere down the road of history some bastard will get up > >and say that this never happened'> >> >Recently, the UK debated whether to remove The Holocaust from its > >school curriculum because it 'offends' the Muslim population which > >claims it never occurred.. It is not removed as yet. However, this > >is a frightening portent of the fear that is gripping the world and > >how easily each country is giving into it.> >> >It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War in Europe > >ended. This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of > >the, 6 million Jews, 20 million Russians, 10 million Christians, and > >1,900 Catholic priests who were 'murdered, raped, burned, starved, > >beaten, experimented on and humiliated' while the German people > >looked the other way.> >> >Now, more than ever, with Iran among others, claiming the Holocaust > >to be 'a myth,' it is imperative to make sure the world never forgets.> >> >This e-mail is intended to reach 400 million people. Be a link in > >the memorial chain and help distribute this around the world.> >> >How many years will it be before the attack on the World Trade > >Center 'NEVER HAPPENED' because it offends some Muslim in the United> States?> >> >Do not just delete this message; it will take only a minute to pass > >this along.

the third man

http://wondersinthedark.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/11-the-third-man/

It always seemed weird to me that whatever film Orson Welles appeared in which didn’t have his name credited as director would inevitably be rumored as being crafted by him. This, of course, was reserved for pictures where some form of merit was tangible and present. There are many rumors floating around that he was actually responsible for helming Norman Foster’s 1943 film noir Journey Into Fear. Forget that Welles himself told Peter Bogdanovich that he had no part in directing the picture, and that Foster was actually a rather competent filmmaker who would also make Kiss The Blood Off My Hands and Woman On The Run. It seemed that whenever Orson became involved in a project, his numerous admirers would try to give him posthumous credit, evidence be damned. The most annoying example and rather insulting attempt at this is with Carol Reed’s 1949 British masterpiece The Third Man. This speculation throughout the years has never been proven in any way whatsoever. The myth is further weakened when any person knowledgeable about Carol Reed’s career simply watches the two film noirs he made previous to The Third Man. Both Odd Man Out and The Fallen Idol are clearly the work of a master director who didn’t need the help of anyone, including Welles. It would also be an understatement to say that the English filmmaker does not deserve such a baseless rumor circulating about his ability to produce such a towering achievement. His three-picture run in the late 40s is as monumental as that of any director in the history of film. He had some wonderful collaborators like Graham Greene, Robert Krasker, and Anton Karas that surely helped him make such great works of art, but the full credit of directing should never be in doubt. The Third Man has been talked about so much (especially in recent years as its reputation continues to grow along with film noir) that I’m not sure how I could add anything new or worthwhile to the discussion. The plot of the picture is concerned with American writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) visiting a bombed-out Vienna, looking for old chum Harry Lime (Welles) who has offered him some work. Once arriving at his destination, Martins gets drawn into a complex labyrinth of intrigue as Lime is pronounced dead. As he starts to investigate the mysterious inaccuracies and troubling evidence uncovered, he realizes there may be more to the story than meets the eye. Lime is like a ghost hovering just above the frame, who while absent from most of the picture, is felt in spirit as all the focus is inevitably on him and his whereabouts. The ending creates a powerful downbeat vibe that goes perfectly with the rest of the feature. When I laid out my plans for this countdown in The Noir Introduction, it was clear that American noirs from the classic period would be emphasized. I did add an interesting caveat about a British picture or two getting in due to certain criteria. The Third Man is not an American film at all, but made in Europe by an English director, English screenwriter/author, and a mostly English-working cinematographer. The eligibility for this countdown can be summed up by the fact that it does have some Hollywood influence on its being made and perhaps some of its success. Both Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles were obviously two of the brightest stars (though underappreciated) in the United States. David O. Selznick also co-produced the picture with Alexander Korda and was instrumental at the time for influencing some changes that were deemed necessary for American audiences. Luckily, it seems his overall meddling has been made redundant by the fact that the 10 minutes he cut from the U.S. release has generally been restored both on cable and Criterion’s DVD release. So, yes, you could look at The Third Man‘s inclusion as cheating since I’m essentially breaking my own rules on foreign pictures. British movies like Brighton Rock, Odd Man Out, and It Always Rains On Sunday would have also made this list if I were more lax on my needed xenophobia to whittle this countdown to 50. Since I gleefully admit to bending the rules for including The Third Man, I have thus relegated it outside of the top ten. When first devising this list, both The Third Man and Night Of The Hunter were comfortably resting in one of those prestigious positions. Maybe The Third Man is so good that leaving it out of an American noir list is inconceivable. They Shoot Pictures Don’t They did a similar thing with their top 250 film noirs. I guess we can now see why Welles lovers would want to give their man credit for this Reed classic. When a film is this good everyone scurries to claim a piece of the pie. I can’t fail to mention that dynamic zither score by Anton Karas. So unique, so divine.

What a surprize!!!!!!!! I have been silently hovering over these NOIR threads for weeks now and have been taking it all in. I have been keeping score, trying to assess MAURIZIO’s tastes, and trying to predict in my mind what films will finish in the top 10 and, low and behold, I am completely bowled over by this choice and the position. Granted, I am no fan of the NOIR genre but I figured I had just enough knowledge on FILM to make the prediction that this, Carol Reeds ultimate film and one of the truly great noir films of all time would, in a heart beat, position itself squarely in the final ten. If I were to go out on a limb I would have made the guess and predict that this amazing study in black and white, with its unforgettable Zither score, brisk pacing, tremendous performances and one of the 10 greatest character entrances in all of film was gonna fall into place in the number 2 position (I’m predicting OUT OF THE PAST is gonna take the top slot). That said, I am a huge fan and admirer of this film. I saw this film over twenty years ago for the first time on a really bad bootleg VHS a friend of mine had procured (he was cheap and never spent money on a prerecorded tape and I think there was a better version out there somewhere, but hey, he was hosting and I’m a penny pincher so no harm no foul) and despite the grainy quality of the picture and the scratchy mono sound, the astounding film this is still shown through. Scene after glorious scene is a wonder for anyone looking at film trying to understand true visual artistry on the screen. It is a text book example on lighting and form, shadow play and camera set ups (its one of the films regularly shown as an essential learning film in film courses and universities that teach film production and history of the moving image). The glistening black and white, the shadow and light play (particularly in scenes like the tunnel moment Maurizio has illustrated above and that quick, almost teasing flash of head-lites that reveals, dramatically and for the very first time, the elusive and slippery Harry Lime). The script and story is a cracker-jack of double crosses, witty monologues (Harry’s speetch about the cuckoo clocks, one of the ten best in cinema history me thinks) and building suspense and the performances rate and recieve one more unforgettable than the other. Allida Valli is sexy and innocent but with a secret that makes her one of the best dames in all of NOIR for me, Bernard Lee is perfectly physically menacing but hysterically polite and kind at the same time he’s picking you up after he’s punched you as Sgt. Paine, Trevor Howard is unforgettable as Major Calloway a man who wants to help but definately smells a rat, Joseph Cotten is at his innocent and home spun best as the put upon hero Holly Martins and, in a role that would give Charles Foster Kane, Hank Quinlan and Falstaff a run for the money (his Falstaff is still his best) Orson Welles dominates every single scene he’s in as the nefarious but charming killer of kids, Harry Lime.

To me, THE THIRD MAN is the definition of what I see NOIR as. Slinky women, rainswept cobblestone streets, dark secrets, unholy alliances and few that believe your innocence. It’s one of those films that you take in the first time you view it, bath in the brilliance of its plot and characters, then see it again to see a master director create, almost without effort, the effects that become one of the corner stones of the entire genre and film of the period in total. Carol Reeds masterpiece. Now, I’m really realy interested to see where Maurizio goes from here with the top ten. Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky….

Jamie Again, awesome that this is (surprisingly) outside the top 10! Maurizio has a rebel-rousing streak in him after all! Seriously though, this is a nice essay and I like the closing sentence about ‘claiming a piece of the pie’, just great stuff. I own the criterion edition which is sublime, but can I say that the last time I watched this the zither score annoyed the heck out of me? it’s so obtrusive in parts and I know that it’s place in film fans hearts is assured so I just wanted to put that out there. After thinking that I’m actually wanted to show this to a few friends who have never seen it/know its reputation to see what a gut reaction is without the baggage (yeah I know can you believe I remain friends with people who are unaware of this?) of it’s esteemed reputation. For anyone that’s interested, iTunes U has an existentialism course lecture by Cal Berkley professor Hubert L. Dreyfus where he discusses a film in relation to an important existentialist text (Godard’s BREATHLESS gets a Nietzsche ‘Gay Science’ connection, HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR gets compared to ‘Fear and Trembling’ ect) this film gets a ‘Sickness Unto Death’, and partially a ‘Brothers Karamazov’ reading. It’s both accurate and original. It’s preview is here in lecture 18, with a link to the whole glorious thing. Highly recommended.http://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/philosophy-7-spring-2008-existentialism/id354819221

on April 14, 2011 at 4:54 pm | Reply Samuel Wilson Welles sort of appropriated The Third Man when he did the Harry Lime radio program, for which he did some writing as well. It was a slow-motion digestion process with one of the end-products being Mr. Arkadin. But the legends I’ve read about his contributions to Reed’s movie focus on his supposed authorship of the “cuckoo clock” speech. In any event, Lime strikes people as a quintessential Wellsian type, hence the assumptions of authorship. Whatever his role, The Third Man is one of the greatest British films, but it’s also American enough to deserve placement in this survey. It’s a work of British craftsmanship, but it’s about Americans (and Europeans) more than Britons. on April 14, 2011 at 5:31 pm | Reply Maurizio Roca Yeah Samuel it does somehow feel less British than something like They Made Me A Fugitive by Calvacanti. Still that part of the world deserves all the credit for making The Third Man. Great comment and thanks for stopping by.

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Jamie Actually it’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just that it annoyed me (which I almost think may be the point). It made me recall the French horror flick EYES WITHOUT A FACE’s tricky little theme… one that’s iconic, but annoying and sometimes laugh inducing. on April 14, 2011 at 4:54 pm | Reply Samuel Wilson Welles sort of appropriated The Third Man when he did the Harry Lime radio program, for which he did some writing as well. It was a slow-motion digestion process with one of the end-products being Mr. Arkadin. But the legends I’ve read about his contributions to Reed’s movie focus on his supposed authorship of the “cuckoo clock” speech. In any event, Lime strikes people as a quintessential Wellsian type, hence the assumptions of authorship. Whatever his role, The Third Man is one of the greatest British films, but it’s also American enough to deserve placement in this survey. It’s a work of British craftsmanship, but it’s about Americans (and Europeans) more than Britons. on April 14, 2011 at 5:31 pm | Reply Maurizio Roca Yeah Samuel it does somehow feel less British than something like They Made Me A Fugitive by Calvacanti. Still that part of the world deserves all the credit for making The Third Man. Great comment and thanks for stopping by.

creepy abandoned mansions

Creepy Abandoned Mansions By Morgan Brennan and Michelle Cerone, Forbes.com Apr 8, 2011 Provided by: tweet185 if (typeof YAHOO == "undefined") { YAHOO = {}; } if (typeof YAHOO.Media == "undefined") { YAHOO.Media = {}; } if (typeof YAHOO.Media.SocialButtons == "undefined") { YAHOO.Media.SocialButtons = {}; } YAHOO.Media.SocialButtons.conf = { lang: 'en-US', tracking: { _S: 97620465, intl: "US", pkg: "http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/creepy-abandoned-mansions.html", ct : "a", lang: "en-US" }, content: { url : "http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/creepy-abandoned-mansions.html", title : "Creepy Abandoned Mansions", retweet_via: "YahooRealEstate", retweet_related: "Yahoo" }, config: { widget_type: 'mit_share', facebook: { } } }; YAHOO.Media.Facebook = { init: { appId: 155383224494397, channelUrl: "http://realestate.yahoo.com/fb/channel.html" } }; if(typeof YAHOO == "undefined" !YAHOO){var YAHOO = {};}if(typeof YAHOO.namespace == "undefined"){YAHOO.namespace=function(){var a=arguments, o=null, i, j, d;for (i=0; i Send Print Share this page Facebook Twitter Myspace Delicious Digg StumbleUpon (function(){if (document.getElementById("ygsh-showw1") && "undefined" !== typeof YAHOO && "undefined" !== typeof YAHOO.one && "undefined" !== typeof YAHOO.one.ush.ShareWidget && "undefined" !== typeof YAHOO.one.ush.widgets) {YAHOO.one.ush.widgets.ush_w1 = new YAHOO.one.ush.ShareWidget("w1");YAHOO.one.ush.widgets.ush_w1.setUrl("http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/creepy-abandoned-mansions.html");YAHOO.one.ush.widgets.ush_w1.setTitle("Creepy Abandoned Mansions");}else{setTimeout(arguments.callee,500);}})(); By the time Thomas Brennan and Mary Alice Shallow bought their 5,000-square-foot farmhouse from Union State Bank, it had sat abandoned for nine months. At a paltry going price of $275,000, the Putnam County, N.Y. abode was nearly 60% cheaper than the other neighborhood homes, thanks to a foreclosure discount and years of neglect. The property needed repairs, with some the worst damage having been inflicted by squatters, looters and vandals in the nine months leading up to Brennan and Shallow's purchase. "The copper plumbing had been stolen out of the house, the windows were busted, the front door broken down," says Brennan. "Kids were inside vandalizing the house, and other people were stealing the antique furniture." In Pictures: Nine Creepy Abandoned Mansions Homes across the U.S. sit abandoned, empty and vulnerable to vandalism, due in large part to the ongoing housing crisis. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the national homeowner vacancy rate for the fourth quarter of 2010 was 2.7%. That represents more than 2 million empty homes--including some mansions. A quick search on real estate listing sites like Realtor.com and Trulia.com shows thousands of palatial estates deserted and patiently awaiting sale, as pools turn green and dust settles on granite countertops. Some of these abodes belong to owners who have listed the properties and relocated. Many more face foreclosure or are already bank-owned. "What's different about this foreclosure cycle is it has taken houses out of every aspect of the housing market," explains Rick Sharga, senior vice president at RealtyTrac, an Irvine, Calif., foreclosure listing site. "You rarely saw mansions in foreclosure [until recently], and now you are seeing much more expensive types of properties in foreclosure." RealtyTrac has seen an unprecedented level of default activity in some of America's ritziest neighborhoods. For example, Beverly Hills, the sixth-most-expensive ZIP code in the country, had a 700% increase in foreclosures of homes $2 million and up over the last three years. We compiled a Creepy Abandoned Mansions By Morgan Brennan and Michelle Cerone, Forbes.com Apr 8, 2011 Provided by: tweet185 if (typeof YAHOO == "undefined") { YAHOO = {}; } if (typeof YAHOO.Media == "undefined") { YAHOO.Media = {}; } if (typeof YAHOO.Media.SocialButtons == "undefined") { YAHOO.Media.SocialButtons = {}; } YAHOO.Media.SocialButtons.conf = { lang: 'en-US', tracking: { _S: 97620465, intl: "US", pkg: "http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/creepy-abandoned-mansions.html", ct : "a", lang: "en-US" }, content: { url : "http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/creepy-abandoned-mansions.html", title : "Creepy Abandoned Mansions", retweet_via: "YahooRealEstate", retweet_related: "Yahoo" }, config: { widget_type: 'mit_share', facebook: { } } }; YAHOO.Media.Facebook = { init: { appId: 155383224494397, channelUrl: "http://realestate.yahoo.com/fb/channel.html" } }; if(typeof YAHOO == "undefined" !YAHOO){var YAHOO = {};}if(typeof YAHOO.namespace == "undefined"){YAHOO.namespace=function(){var a=arguments, o=null, i, j, d;for (i=0; i Send Print Share this page Facebook Twitter Myspace Delicious Digg StumbleUpon (function(){if (document.getElementById("ygsh-showw1") && "undefined" !== typeof YAHOO && "undefined" !== typeof YAHOO.one && "undefined" !== typeof YAHOO.one.ush.ShareWidget && "undefined" !== typeof YAHOO.one.ush.widgets) {YAHOO.one.ush.widgets.ush_w1 = new YAHOO.one.ush.ShareWidget("w1");YAHOO.one.ush.widgets.ush_w1.setUrl("http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/creepy-abandoned-mansions.html");YAHOO.one.ush.widgets.ush_w1.setTitle("Creepy Abandoned Mansions");}else{setTimeout(arguments.callee,500);}})(); By the time Thomas Brennan and Mary Alice Shallow bought their 5,000-square-foot farmhouse from Union State Bank, it had sat abandoned for nine months. At a paltry going price of $275,000, the Putnam County, N.Y. abode was nearly 60% cheaper than the other neighborhood homes, thanks to a foreclosure discount and years of neglect. The property needed repairs, with some the worst damage having been inflicted by squatters, looters and vandals in the nine months leading up to Brennan and Shallow's purchase. "The copper plumbing had been stolen out of the house, the windows were busted, the front door broken down," says Brennan. "Kids were inside vandalizing the house, and other people were stealing the antique furniture." In Pictures: Nine Creepy Abandoned Mansions Homes across the U.S. sit abandoned, empty and vulnerable to vandalism, due in large part to the ongoing housing crisis. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the national homeowner vacancy rate for the fourth quarter of 2010 was 2.7%. That represents more than 2 million empty homes--including some mansions. A quick search on real estate listing sites like Realtor.com and Trulia.com shows thousands of palatial estates deserted and patiently awaiting sale, as pools turn green and dust settles on granite countertops. Some of these abodes belong to owners who have listed the properties and relocated. Many more face foreclosure or are already bank-owned. "What's different about this foreclosure cycle is it has taken houses out of every aspect of the housing market," explains Rick Sharga, senior vice president at RealtyTrac, an Irvine, Calif., foreclosure listing site. "You rarely saw mansions in foreclosure [until recently], and now you are seeing much more expensive types of properties in foreclosure." RealtyTrac has seen an unprecedented level of default activity in some of America's ritziest neighborhoods. For example, Beverly Hills, the sixth-most-expensive ZIP code in the country, had a 700% increase in foreclosures of homes $2 million and up over the last three years. We compiled a list of creepy abandoned mansions. They've all been empty for years. In a few cases, the homes have recently been sold to buyers willing restore them. Some are foreclosures; some the targets of longstanding legal battles; some are still actively owned from afar. What do we mean by creepy? We confined our search to homes decaying into the ground, boasting spooky legends or tragic murders, or serving as sites for sordid illegal activities. Many of them are for sale: Boxer Mike Tyson's deserted former Southington, Ohio, manor is listed for $1.3 million, and the allegedly haunted New Hampshire castle once inhabited by railroad tycoon Benjamin Ames Kimball can be had for a steeply discounted $880,000. Unfortunately there is no easy answer for what to do with empty structures, whether they're mansions, more typical single-family residences or unfinished developments. Here are five of the creepiest, abandoned mansions: Mudhouse Mansion4730 Mudhouse Rd., Lancaster, OHAcross the U.S. sprawling estates sit empty and abandoned. Fairfield County’s Mudhouse Mansion is one eerie example. This 19th-century red brick building has not housed a regular occupant since the 1930s, despite having an owner who still pays the property taxes. The once regal structure has fallen victim to fires, vandalism and rumors of ghastly hauntings. Mudhouse Mansion in Lancaster, OHPhoto: Robert Batina Vacant Mansion3737 State Route 534, Southington, OH The vacant manse was home to boxer Mike Tyson in the 1990s. The current asking price is $1.3 million, despite overgrown lawns and a moss-colored pool. Unsold, abandoned mansion in Lancaster, OHPhoto: Realtor.com Abandoned Lakefront Estate17920 W Colonial Drive, Oakland, Fla.Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, Khalil bin Laden, Osama's brother, fled this lakefront estate. During six years of vacancy, damage to the property included bullet holes in the walls. More recently acquired, it is currently up for grabs for $2 million. Former Florida home of Osama Bin Laden's brother is for sale.Photo: ERA real estate Lynnewood Hall920 Spring Ave., Elkins Park, Pa.The sprawling Widener manse, nicknamed "last of the American Versailles," sits empty and decaying as years' worth of legal battles rage on. Lynnewood Hall in Elkins Park, Pa.Photo: http://sites.google.com/site/lynnewoodhall/home/exterior-photos Kimball Castle59 Lockes Hill Rd., Gilford, N.H.For $880,000 you can investigate whether this eerie hillside castle "in need of total rehab" indeed deserved a cameo on reality TV series Ghost Hunters. Kimball Castle in Gilford, N.H.Photo: Public Domain Click here to see all of the Nine Creepy Abandoned Mansions They've all been empty for years. In a few cases, the homes have recently been sold to buyers willing restore them. Some are foreclosures; some the targets of longstanding legal battles; some are still actively owned from afar. What do we mean by creepy? We confined our search to homes decaying into the ground, boasting spooky legends or tragic murders, or serving as sites for sordid illegal activities. Many of them are for sale: Boxer Mike Tyson's deserted former Southington, Ohio, manor is listed for $1.3 million, and the allegedly haunted New Hampshire castle once inhabited by railroad tycoon Benjamin Ames Kimball can be had for a steeply discounted $880,000. Unfortunately there is no easy answer for what to do with empty structures, whether they're mansions, more typical single-family residences or unfinished developments. Here are five of the creepiest, abandoned mansions: Mudhouse Mansion4730 Mudhouse Rd., Lancaster, OHAcross the U.S. sprawling estates sit empty and abandoned. Fairfield County’s Mudhouse Mansion is one eerie example. This 19th-century red brick building has not housed a regular occupant since the 1930s, despite having an owner who still pays the property taxes. The once regal structure has fallen victim to fires, vandalism and rumors of ghastly hauntings. Mudhouse Mansion in Lancaster, OHPhoto: Robert Batina Vacant Mansion3737 State Route 534, Southington, OH The vacant manse was home to boxer Mike Tyson in the 1990s. The current asking price is $1.3 million, despite overgrown lawns and a moss-colored pool. Unsold, abandoned mansion in Lancaster, OHPhoto: Realtor.com Abandoned Lakefront Estate17920 W Colonial Drive, Oakland, Fla.Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, Khalil bin Laden, Osama's brother, fled this lakefront estate. During six years of vacancy, damage to the property included bullet holes in the walls. More recently acquired, it is currently up for grabs for $2 million. Former Florida home of Osama Bin Laden's brother is for sale.Photo: ERA real estate Lynnewood Hall920 Spring Ave., Elkins Park, Pa.The sprawling Widener manse, nicknamed "last of the American Versailles," sits empty and decaying as years' worth of legal battles rage on. Lynnewood Hall in Elkins Park, Pa.Photo: http://sites.google.com/site/lynnewoodhall/home/exterior-photos Kimball Castle59 Lockes Hill Rd., Gilford, N.H.For $880,000 you can investigate whether this eerie hillside castle "in need of total rehab" indeed deserved a cameo on reality TV series Ghost Hunters. Kimball Castle in Gilford, N.H.Photo: Public Domain Click here to see all of the Nine Creepy Abandoned Mansions