Posters had their say on the Middle East: Memorable phrases included Max Steel’s “Peace will come … when the Palestinians learn to love their children more than they hate the Jews” and The Bell’s “War becomes truly tragic when the soldiers of an army are brave and true but its generals are fools.”
Subject: Invitation to Genocide
Re: “Foreigners: Girl Suicide Bombers”
From: Dea
Date: Wed Apr 3 8:43 a.m. PT
The group that sends a message, “You can trust no one in our population not to kill you,” sends the message, “Unless you get rid of all of us, you will die.” This is very dangerous; it’s an invitation to genocide. … The people of Palestine seem to be counting on Israel’s personal morality (or at least Israel’s need to appear moral before the world) not to commit genocide. … What if they are wrong? What if Israel says, “Damn world opinion. It’s us or them, so it’s going to be us”?
[Find this post here.]
Subject: God and Mammon
Re: “Low Concept: Dick Morris’ Plan To Save the Catholic Church”
From: Rich Mahady
Date: Fri Apr 12 4:20 a.m. PT
If there was one thing that could bring the Catholic Church in America crashing down forever, this latest scandal was it. There is absolutely no one Americans hate more than a child molester, and absolutely no one baby boomers value more than their own kids. … Think there aren’t a whole lot of male breadwinners who at least thought twice before placing checks and money in the plate at St. Whatever’s this past month? … The Roman Catholic Church looks upon the United States as a cash cow. … We are important to them—the same way a rich guy is important to a stripper.
[Find this post here.]
Subject: Winning Dynasties
Re: “Dispatches: End of the Line”
From: Kassandra
Date: Tue Apr 9 1:51 p.m. PT
All the [British] royals are good for now is to look nice? Oh, that hurts! Come on! They’re frightfully useful, you know they are! … Don’t we wish we had such a system here? … We shed hot tears of envy and rage every time we see those lucky people across the pond being graciously waved to and smiled upon. But there’s some hope for us. It looks as if we’re well on the way to establishing such a system here. It’s a tiny bit puzzling why we have chosen such a remarkably mediocre dynasty for the job, but perhaps it’s just our good old democratic way of saying Hey! This is America! In this country everybody is as good as everybody else.
[Find this post here.]
Subject: The Shape Vogue Is In
Re: “ Culturebox: A La Mode”
From: Zorro
Date: Tue Apr 2 1:32 p.m. PT
The Vogue issue on “shape” proves what I’ve known all along: Women are worse on this stuff than men. Sports Illustrated regularly shows lady golfers of realistic proportions. … While female athletes rarely take on the dimensions of offensive linemen, some of them are as ugly as your average veteran hockey goon. Vogue, on the other hand, strains to find a Size 8 that it can stomach. … If there aren’t any women who are a size 12 and look good in fashionable clothes, hair, and makeup, then who is buying the clothes, or for that matter the magazine?
[Find this post here.]
Fray Notes:
More on the Middle East: History Guy started a fascinating thread on the term “suicide bomber.” The discussion touched on language, politics, history, and philosophy, and is well worth reading.
BML did a nice job on Fray Etiquette here: We liked “Evolution is always a hot topic, but people are relaxed and informal when the subject comes up.”
A star this week went to Chiquita Banana for great work in “Poems.” For complicated reasons, she already sometimes shows up with someone else’s star; we are not giving her this just to make life easier, but in honest recognition of her efforts, and it is all hers. Another goes to Loree, who helps run the ever-wonderful KFDR talk radio on Sunday nights in “Kausfiles” (this week’s installment starts here). And stars went to Doubter, opinionated but reasonable and always ready to argue in “Ballot Box,” and to Deej—sample his style with his Fray Name contest.
Best Post Title came from Thrasymachus: “America’s Own Trailer Park Medea” was his description of Rosie O’Donnell. This was the antithesis of the recent contest for boring post titles, where there were some splendid late entries: “RE: Two Cheers for ERISA Reform” (lovely work with that “RE,” Leon) and the bitter “New Fray contest” (yes, it was Keith M. Ellis).
