Fausta's blog

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The official blog of Fausta's Blog Talk Radio show.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

El Al can't refuel in Europe, today's articles from Maria, and Hugo's jinx

Europe nixes landing rights for El Al planes with IDF cargo
A number of European states are refusing to allow El Al cargo planes carrying Israel Defense Forces equipment from stopover landings in their airports.

The refusal came from states considered friendly with Israel, including Britain, Germany and Italy, according to Captain Etai Regev, the chairman of El Al's pilots' union.

Regev sent a letter of complaint on the matter to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and to the Defense Ministry, the Finance Ministry, and the Tourism Ministry.

According to Regev, El Al flights bearing heavy loads that arrive from U.S. bases "are not given approval by European states to make stopover landings for refueling, for political reasons.

"As a result, cargo planes are taking off from the U.S. with much lighter weight, and are reaching Israel with significantly fewer munitions than needed."
Today's articles from Maria
Losing to Iran

Does religion make people better or worse?

Coming soon to a You Tube near you? Video of croc hunter's attack called 'shocking,' 'terrible'

At the blogs:
Behold, at Elephants in Academia: Captain Che Sparrow. Via the Elephants, three possible scenarios for Latin America. I agree 100% with Oppenheimer's assessment.

Looking at this map of Hugo's travels last month,
(click on photo for article) I couldn't help but remember Gustavo Coronel's article Is Hugo Chávez jinxed?
Hugo Chávez, the president of Venezuela, is starting to acquire a reputation for being an agent of jinx, for being pavoso. During his first year in power Venezuela suffered the worst tragedy in history, when an estimated 50,000 people died as the result of mudslides in the northern portion of the country. This tragedy was, of course, a natural disaster but Venezuelans still remember the indifference of Chávez when it started to rain and the tragedy had yet not reached the huge proportions it would reach two days later. He said, in an insensitive imitation of Bolívar's words after the Caracas earthquake in 1806: "If nature opposes us, we will fight her and force her to obey us," a challenge that, according to some experts in jinx, was sure to irritate nature. When he visited, a couple of weeks ago, the repair works being done on the main highway bridge connecting Caracas with the international airport and seaport, there were reports that the crane doing the work suffered a sudden malfunction.


It is no accident, some claim, that Chávez's visits to foreign countries have brought substantial calamities to the places and/or persons visited.
Jinxed, indeed: Apparently they pulled Fidel out of the freezer, because he's now saying the worst of his health crisis is now behind him and he is on the road to recovery, despite losing more than 18kg (40lb) in weight.

In a lighter mode,
The answer to one of the existential questions: Good-bye white shoes?

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