Incredibly, under the most awful circumstances, they manage to find humor in the situation. I think that bodes well for Israeli solidarity -- and its long-term survival.
(Courtesy of The Jerusalem Post)

THANKS FOR THE TIP, NEVILLE: As I continue to search for my own voice, it's small consolation that Joe Conason -- usually one of the more thoughtful and articulate lefties -- is now reduced to spouting appeasement babble. Joe dutifully slaps Arafat's wrist, but concludes: "The only path back from the brink is for the United States and its allies in Europe to induce a cease-fire that can eventually lead to more talking and less killing."

Yes ... hmmm ... that's thinking outside the box, Joe. While we're at it, why not offer up Poland as a gift to Hamas and Hezbollah, and hope they'll leave us alone afterwards?

WORDS MATTER: This past week, watching events unfold overseas, I've simply been at a loss for words. Under the circumstances, I think the wisest course of action is to shut up and read what all the smarter people in the Blogosphere have to say. Words matter. They have meaning. They have consequences. And I don't want to get into the habit of slinging about words that feel good and sound pretty good tonight, and then have to do cleanup detail tomorrow. (I've already embarrassed myself enough by jumping onto the Arafat Deathwatch bandwagon.)

I'll speak up again when I'm comfortable that I have the words to express myself accurately -- and defensibly. Meanwhile, Norman Podhoretz explains why words matter here.

ON A SLIGHT TANGENT: My all-time favorite conspiracy debunking has to be this one, in which exhaustive research, solid logic and common sense is used to eviscerate claims that the Apollo moon landings were actually staged in a NASA warehouse.

But look at the writers' motives! They debunk the fake moon landing to support their fantastic alternate conspiracy theory -- that the government is suppressing what the astronauts actually discovered on the moon: artifacts that prove alien visitors got there first!