AN ENDANGERED ISRAEL, BUMBLING HOUSE AND ASSORTED SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

For the past couple of weeks I've only provided the views of others regarding endangered Israel and the House speaker debacle.  Today, I provide my opinion, beginning with the Israel-Hamas War, with more questions and no solutions:

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  Pressures are building, and Israel is in its worst position since the Yom Kippur War a half a century ago.  That period was crucial for the survival of humanity, for involved were the western powers against the Arab nations, plus the Soviet Union, and even China and North Korea.   While the world survived this game of intense brinksmanship, one fallout was the sudden increase of petroleum prices, for the result was the First Energy Crisis.  Interestingly enough, Iran was a non-player in this war.

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  Here is the situation at this moment (which could anytime change):
• Israel is torn about when and how to invade the Gaza Strip.
• The 199 hostages make decisions difficult.
• There are around 40,000 Hamas military terrorists in a Gaza Strip population of 2.3, meaning that the Hamas are less than 2% of the people living there.

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  Throw in the hostages, and how can you fight this war?
• The U.S. seeks a humanitarian attack, but this will be impossible,
• If the next stage is a full-scale attack of the Gaza Strip, there will be considerable casualties, with a lot more civilians than terrorists or Israeli military killed.  Probably all the hostages will be slaughtered.
• Clearly, many terrorists and some hostages were moved from the north to the south.  Even if the north territory is completely cleared of Hamas, there will still be a lot more in the South.
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  The world is posturing Egypt to open the southern border, at least to safe escapees, like those with American citizenship.
• But why isn't Israel opening their gates to those wanting to leave the Gaza Strip?  They can be filter out potential terrorists and place them in concentration camps, but it will be impossible to weed out what is less than 2% of  them.
• In the meantime, many more younger and feeble will die with the present lack of water, food and medical supplies.  The Israeli position is that the Hamas started this, they run the country, let them provide the supplies.

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  All the while, Hezbollah is positioned in Lebanon with an organized militia and maybe up to 150,000 smarter missiles.  And, oh, there are at least 100,000 Hezbollah fighters.  Israel ordered an unprecedented evacuation of northern Gaza.

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  Hezbollah means Party of God, an Iran-backed Shia Muslim militant and political group based in Lebanon.
• Formed in 1982 during Lebanon's 15-year civil war, but went mainstream in 2009.
• Receives hundreds of millions of dollars/year from Iran.
• Has only 13 seats in Lebanon's 128-member Parliament.
• Chances are that if war with the Hezbollah is initiated, Israel could well initiate something, for Netanyahu's pledged not only to destroy Hamas, but the Islamic Jihad.
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  There is a third front, the West Bank, with Israeli settlements here and Jerusalem.  Perhaps up to 700,000 Israelis.  Some skirmishes so far.
• Iran has re-positioned forces and equipment in Syria closer to the Israel border.  Watch this video.  Add, then, a fourth front.
• Will Russia, China and North Korea enter the fray?  One possible positive is that Vladimir Putin has placed calls to five regional players, including Israel, and seeks to play a role in talks.  Plus Xi Jinping has more to gain from peace than war in the Middle East.

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  Will President Joe Biden visit Israel this week or next?  Oh, just heard he is going on Wednesday.
• Will there be another Yom Kippur War....or worse?

The above looks depressing.  The following should similarly be so for Republicans.

• 59-year old Rep. Jim Jordan from Ohio is the current favorite to become speaker of the House of Representatives.  They vote tomorrow at noon.
• Hey, he's strong, and maybe smart, as he went to the University of Wisconsin, where he won two NCAA national wrestling championships at 134 pounds.  Is 5'7" tall.  Almost made the Olympics team.  Graduated in economics.

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  Earned a Master's degree in education from Ohio State University, then a Juris Doctor degree from the Capital University Law School in 2011, which is ranked by the U.S. News as #175 in the nation, but National Juris magazine selected this as a best value law school.  Never took the bar exam.
• Became an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State to Richard Strauss, who was involved with sexual misconduct, and committed suicide in 2005.  Jordan wasn't part of the problem, but has refused to cooperate with investigations.

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  Elected to the Ohio House in 1994, Senate in 2000 and U.S. House in 2006.  Re-elected 9 times.
• Is the founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus in 2015.
• Anti-abortion and anti-Ukraine War.  However, he apparently has softened his position on the latter, seeking speaker votes.
• Close ally of Donald Trump.
• If elected speaker, would be second in line to replace President Joe Biden.
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  A commentary by Marilou Johanek in the Ohio Capital Journal last week:
• Has never drafted and shepherded any legislation to passage on behalf of this constituents.
• Was involved with Trump's coup on January 6, 2021.
• Outrageously given a Medal of Freedom by Trump for his aid.
• To quote:

In the before times, Jordan would be scorned as a pariah for egregious abuse of power and conspiracy to defraud the American people on behalf of a would-be Mussolini. But today, shamelessness is a virtue in Jordan’s chaos caucus and could win him the most powerful position in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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  Will Jordan be voted speaker?  If he bent on Ukraine and a few other matters, he might.  My sense is that he won't make it anyway.  Why?
• There are too many "good" Republicans in the House. 
• These are those who are patriotic, defend democracy, honest, with high morality and integrity, and reasonably well respected by the vast majority, like Ronald Reagan, George the Elder Bush and John McCain.
• Needs 217 votes, with only 4 Republican defections. 
• There is a core of Republicans from reasonably safe districts who worry about the doom of Trump prevailing at the national convention in July.  They won't stand for Jordan.
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  I would hope that there are more than 4 House Republicans with sufficient high morals to doom Jordan.
• No Democrat will become speaker, which means the Republicans are back to Kevin McCarthy, with the unofficial assistance of Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries providing as many votes as needed to win any important vote.  Democrats, the nation and world will then become the winners.
• But Republicans will be pissed, and merrily move along to being landslided on 5November2024.

More teams are playing charity basketball games this year.  In an exhibition (meaning it doesn't count) match, Ohio State vs Dayton, for mental health and suicide prevention, on October 22.  In a pre-season ranking, Ohio State is #49, and I don't see Dayton.  #363 is Hartford.  But some other positions surprise me:  California #315, Louisville #314, Notre Dame #184, LSU #153 and BYU #84.

Remember Caitlin Clark of Iowa's women's basketball team?  I featured her last year in two of my postings.  She ended up being named player of the year.  While Iowa lost to LSU in the championship game (and note that the LSU men's team is ranked #153 above), she's back.  In another basketball exhibition held last night, not only did Iowa prevail over DePaul, but the announced attendance was 55,646, breaking the previous record of 29,619 in the 2002 national title game between UConn and Oklahoma.  Well, it was played in a football stadium and raised $250,000 for a hospital.  Clark recorded a triple double, with 34 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.  Her team has sold out all games this year, in a regular indoor arena.

There are no undefeated teams in the NFL anymore, with San Francisco and Philadelphia being embarrassingly upset by mediocre teams.  Looks like any team can beat any other team in the league this year.

The San Antonio Spurs supposedly has the most exciting prospect since Lebron James.  Victor Wembanyama has indeed shown incredible skills in exhibition games.  He is kind of skinny, and you got to worry about his physicality, but he is 7'4" tall.  Click on this watch the videos.  However, this pre-season ranking has San Antonio #27 of 30 NBA teams.

The University of Hawaii football again lost this weekend.  However, this was an otherwise good three-day period, for the UH women's volleyball team won, the Miami Dolphins too, and my two alma maters, LSU and Stanford also.   The Stanford game defied description, but can be read here.  However, the coach of the Colorado losing team, Deon Sanders, dropped by weekend update on Saturday Night Live this weekend.  This you got to watch.

Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour film was boffo, #1 in weekend box office revenues, by a lot.  As you ponder whether to spend nearly three hour of your life with her, consider a quote from Stephanie Zacharek of Time:

My low-key but enthusiastic audience was about one-third teenagers and young women, one-third little girls in sparkly attire (accompanied by their parents), and one-third gay men.

I did say yesterday that both Rotten Tomatoes reviewers and audiences rated the movie at 100%.  Checked again today, but it was 100% reviewers and 99% audiences.

For the middle age group, Madonna opened her global The Celebration Tour, a spectacle of her four decades of hits, in London.  She eventually returns to the USA in December, and ends in Mexico City on 24April2024.  Here are 65 facts about her.  Her 1985 Into the Groove in 1985 is her best selling. Maybe because it came early, but for reasons that escape me, Borderline in 1983 is my favorite, with Material Girl  up there.

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