(no subject)

[bzarcher]

Israel offers to return the Golan Heights to Syria.

Lots of strings attached, but if they take it in good faith? Wow. That's huge.

Saw Ocean's 13 last night with Dave and Sanford - fun! Not neccesarily the hardest think you've ever had, but a lot of fun. :D I reccomend it if you'd like to see a movie and leave with a smile.

Meant to get into EVE last night, too, but I kinda fell asleep on the couch after Dogfights. Sorry, Dave!

Comments

[buschap.livejournal.com]

Soderbergh has been calling it, and wanted to subtitle it "The One We Should Have Made Last Time".

He's right.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Probably.

But in it's defense, Ocean's 12 had several moments that, while not as good as 11, were still pretty funny. It's just that it needed 2 hours worth of them.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Also (as I edit myself), the big mistake in 12 was taking the movie out of Vegas.

Vegas is, and should be, as much a character in those films as the human performers.

[spoonybardol.livejournal.com]

How would Ocean's Thirteen be to someone who has not seen Eleven nor Twelve? I have a bit of a movie hankering that may not wait till Silver Surfer next weekend, though I haven't seen any of the previous movies.

[buschap.livejournal.com]

It's better if you've seen Eleven, but you can get by without it. I think all you need to know is Andy Garcia was the guy they stole from in the first movie.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Yeah - that's the big key. Basically, it's a really big buddy movie that has a few cues that hinge on the past two, both nothing that'd ruin the experience.

I'd say that if you could rent at least Eleven before seeing Thirteen, it wouldn't hurt, but you'll manage. :D

[flaggerx.livejournal.com]

Ocean's 13 is on my "I'll watch it with others" list, as I haven't seen Hot Fuzz yet. Love to take Diane to that.

As far as the Golan goes, that's been unofficially on the market for some time, provided Syria would step up. Olmert's offer really only makes it official. And it does sort of force the Syrians into some type of response, even if mostly rhetorical. I hope the Syrians will make peace, but with us bogged down in Iraq, the Israelis growing more unpopular I suspect not. Here's the deal on making peace: It's easy when everyone knows you're holding aces. Right now, most everyone in the Islamic world thinks they'll be holding the high cards at endgame, so peace is difficult.

Sigh.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

It's a good "going out with a few" movie, for sure.

I've hope, but we'll see.

[parasaurolophus.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I really hope it doesn't turn into another Gaza.
Also, I have some friends who just bought a house in the Golan. I wonder if they're going to be labeled 'settlers' now?

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Hopefully not.

If nothing else, let's hope the example of Gaza shows both governments how to handle people living in the area a little more carefully, should this go forward.

[flaggerx.livejournal.com]

The reason the Gaza strip is what it is comes from it's nature as a slum, one of the worst on earth, and economically dependent on Israel. It's highly populated, the population is disproportionately young (military age males are NOT in short supply). The Golan Heights has a very small population and matters primarily because it offers a commanding view of northern Israel and a good bit of southern Syria.

The Golan matters for purely military reasons. Gaza sucks because it's poor, overpopulated, full of rubble and they have someone to blame. So the two do not equate.

[dasubergeek.livejournal.com]

Right. So Syria will take the offer, and Israel will take her sweet time getting out of Golan. Then Syria will make a big show of cleaning out offices of various groups in Damascus. There will be a big offensive from, say, Lebanon, Israel will insist that Syria funded Hezbollah, invade the Golan Heights, and we'll be right back where we were in 1967.

/pessimist

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

It has to start somewhere. We have to hope that both sides are learning and want to encourage stability.

Besides, if nothing else there's the advantage that Israel's army certainly has -much- more respect from the Arabs than they did in '67.

That, and $5, will get me some coffee, but I want to believe that things will improve.