11/22/2023
JRB,
Have you had your birthday coconut cake yet? Sounds like a summery concoction to me, but whatever floats your boat. How are things in Nantucket? I hope you get to take a bike ride today.
I may go for a run/walk with my daughter (ACAW). I just got a spiffy pair of black Italian shoes so I can keep my telomeres nice & long. ACAW taught me that’s the part of the cell that ages. The NIH reports that aerobic exercise is “beneficial to telomere length” & NYT says running is better for “lasting health” so I’m going to see if I can run without hurting myself.
Thanks for your vigilance regarding the hostage situation in Gaza. I hope that the trade announced today goes as planned.
Did you Bernie Sanders piece in the NYT? He speaks my mind when he says, “we must grapple with the complexity of this situation that too many people on both sides want to wave away.” I also agree with his assertion that “the blank check approach must end.” Thomas Friedman reports that many Israeli analysts believe that what’s best for Bibi is to drag out the war. He warns we could be “Netanyahu’s useful idiot.” I implore you again to stop sending $$ & weapons to Bibi. He’s misguided.
On another front, the UN is saying that fighting in Burma is at its worst since the coup in 2021. CNN is showing video of junta soldiers surrendering. Things are changing there & I hope a new democratic Burma arises from the conflict. Ideally, they’d have a representative government where all ethnic groups have a vote & a voice.
I keep wondering why we rule out that possibility for land called, “Israel.” Why do the Jews & Muslims need separate states? Probably a naïve question.
Bahá’u’lláh preached that we’d all be better off if everyone on the planet shared the same religion. If we could get there voluntarily, that’d be great. Perhaps we should all become stoics & embrace Marcus Aurelius assertion that “The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make of it.” What do you think?
BYBS,
