Boyle is second

Wow did you know there're 18 cases of swine flu in Israel? But groups are still coming and people are continuing life as usual. The cases are all people coming from the States and they're quarantined so people don't feel afraid of contracting the flu. And there's only 1 case in Greece!

Swine flu may be sweeping through Israel quietly and not ruffling any feathers, but the recent week's calls by some Israeli MPs certainly are: eg. to ban Nakba Day (Palestinian commemoration of the Jewish occupation of the West Bank 40 years ago) and making it a crime to celebrate it; to enforce everyone wanting citizenship, to swear allegiance to the State of Israel.... and this is just the beginning. Eventually more pro-Zionist and racist laws will be proposed until all we non-Jews will be suffocated out of existance here. Local arabs are vowing retaliaiton today. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243346507109&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Even some Zionists are alarmed at these extreme nationalist moves http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243346506198&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull Some Israeli prominent people are calling it racist, anti-democratic and against human rights.

But it looks like the MPs are playing on fear of arabs to get the bills passed. There's a nationwide emergency drill today in case of a missile attack from Iran, and reports of fighting in the West Bank; all drumming up fear so that people will support the bill. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243346506725&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull and http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243346507791&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Anyway by now you know Susan Boyle came in second - not that it matters much since she clearly has had offers to cut albums and do performances, so she'll still be making it big, bigger than Diversity the dance troupe that won. Dance troupes don't last long because the kids will grow up and live their own lives. But if you haven't caught Julian Smith the saxophonist who came in 3rd, go watch youtube the 1st audition and the semi-finals. Fantastic performance although I thought it was a little deja vu aka Kenny Gee. But he had a soul and that came though clearly in his performance, so good for him. As a professional music teacher, I'm sure he'll also cut some albums, do some performances and of course good advertisement for more students.

And this morning i went to the Holy Sepulchre at 4.30am to celebrate Mass. Got home at 6.15 am and cooked bacon and eggs - YES - bought the bacon last week at a non-kosher shop. But I had to go to the school's students' kitchen (next building 3 floors down) to fry the stuff. Brought it back to the monastery refectory and the few guys who got up early for breakfast whacked it all up! Even the superior and the dean got some. Obviously they loved it and made nice comments. After all it's the FIRST time in the history of this house (which is over 100 yrs old) that bacon-and-eggs was served at all! Mind you it's not likely to happen again. I just thought we needed a break from the breakfast that we've been having year in year out. Good to know I brought some smiles aorund the house. Looks like this morning I beat Diversity, Boyle and Smith all at once!