Progress (?) Toward a Syrian Solution, A "Sid" Story and Gas Prices

In my last posting on September 4, I discussed the involvement of Iran and Israel in the Syrian crisis and offered a possible explanation for the Administration’s ambivalent approach to punishing Syria for using chemical weapons on their civilians.  Since then three things have occurred which reinforce my suspicions that something is going on between the United States and Iran, and Russia as well, which may lead to a resolution of the problem without our military intervention.  Please re-read my September 4 posting and then add these items to the mix:

Last week, the new Iranian President, via Twitter, wished a Happy New Year to Iran’s Jewish population and Jews all over the world.  One of the responses to this unexpected and surprising L’Shana Tovah greeting came from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi who Twittered back Iranian President Hassan Rouhani asking him how he could send such a greeting while his country espoused denial of the Holocaust.  Rouhani answered that that was just the view of his predecessor, who is no longer in office, and not his. 
  Iranian President Rouhani

Also, the United States has somewhat loosened the banking sanctions which prevented some nations from purchasing oil from Iran, relieving some of the pressure which we had applied to their economy.   

Finally, according to the New York Times, in response to a suggestion from Secretary of State Kerry the Russians have reportedly welcomed the idea that Syria hand over its chemical weaponry within one week.  I had expected such a move by Iran, but it is even more meaningful coming from Russia.

Can we now expect Iran to join Russia and the United States in exerting pressure on Bashir al-Assad to renounce the use of chemical weapons?  As I hinted in my last posting, our reassuring Israel that they have the unbending support of the United States in opposing the development of Iranian nuclear weapons, thereby reducing the likelihood of Israel being motivated to act alone against Iran’s nuclear development sites, would be an inducement for Iran to do so.

Jack Lippman 

                                                             

Thoughts Inspired by a Gasoline Pump

The Way Things Once Wuz

Regular gasoline in my neighborhood is now going for about $3.62 a gallon.  The other day, while on a sightseeing visit to the town of Palm Beach a few miles away (for those of you who are not from the area where I live, Palm Beach is an extremely wealthy community, filled with exclusive designer shops, overpriced restaurants and opulent seaside mansions), I passed by a gasoline station.  Regular grade Sunoco gasoline was selling there for $4.96 a gallon. Yes, $4.96 a gallon!  That’s about $1.34 more per gallon than stations elsewhere in the county were charging!  Wow!

Can it be that the people who patronize that station on South County Road are so unbelievably stupid that they are willing to pay such prices rather than drive over the bridge to West Palm Beach to fill up?  I find this hard to believe since some very intelligent people such as the Limbaughs and the Koch brothers presently live there. 

 

It takes a lot of inherited money or the ability to be extremely successful at whatever you do to afford to live on Palm Beach.  No, it cannot be stupidity.  It is just a matter of some people being so wealthy that they just do not care what things cost.  Milk can be $2 a quart or $20 a quart.  A beer can cost $5 or $50.  It makes no difference to them.  Customers like this provide a wonderful environment in which businesses can flourish, including that Sunoco station on South County Road.  Sometimes, I suppose it is difficult to distinguish between very wealthy people and very stupid people.  Often, they vote the same way in Presidential and Congressional elections.

JL

                                                               

Sid's Corner

ELOPEMENT    

Sid Bolotin    

(Editor's Note:  This short contribution from Sid is not going to be entered in the Short Story Contest.  Can you come up with something like this?   Give it a try.) 

I could hear the floorboards on the porch, weathered by years of exposure, creaking in the night. I had lain awake waiting eagerly for that sound to signal the beginning of the adventure of my life.

The glow of the clock on my night table showed it to be 2:00 a.m. as agreed with my lover who must be now leaning his ladder against the sill of my bedroom window. How exciting to be running off like this. My heart pounded with anticipation of what lay ahead.

I brought my small valise that contained only my essentials to the window and raised the sash. We had decided to take only the bare minimum and replenish what we left behind when we arrived at our destination.

Of course our families knew nothing of what we had decided. We had shared our infatuation in secret for quite a while, and it was now time to fulfill our dreams. When you find true love, it must be validated and consummated in spite of the naysayers. We had talked of this for hours on end and were in complete agreement that we had to defy our families and follow our bliss…wherever it might lead.

There he was! I could see his head at the window. I could barely contain myself from dragging him into my room and ravishing him before I ran off with him.

I handed him my valise, eased myself out the window onto the ladder above him, and gasped with warmth as I felt his steadying hand on my tush. Suppressed longings pounded through me as I inched my way down the rungs. At the bottom we hugged furtively before edging away toward the driveway.

“Stop right where you are!” shouted someone, and we froze as lights came on. “Sarah and Ken, this is your last warning! You try this once more, and your children will have to find some other independent living for you both.”

                                                               

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