I think there is a beef with Israel here (Israeli regime?).

Personally, I think that Israel will last. As a Christian, I know my views are going to be very different from those of most reading this, but I think that God gave Israel that land way back in the day, and they’re kinda destined to hold on to it.

In Genesis 12:3, God says to Abraham (Israel’s big time patriarch): “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse” Here God is talking about Abraham’s descendants… being the Jews, who happen to inhabit modern Israel. Since God’s promises never expire, this one is still in effect. Therefore, God’s hand of protection is over them. Will the current government last forever? Who knows; the Jews were out of that land for a long time in the Middle Ages. But ultimately it will be theirs.

i was logging in the book i left for bookcrossing in firenze, and so i had to start making a new BX zone – italy, tuscany, florence – and it gives you all the places that other bookXers left books at earlier – & there was cafe posta at via pellecini that i’d had a tea and panini at yesterday morning!

and further down, the istituto agronomico per l’oltremaro, the overseas development institute that my colleagues in florence whom i was visiting had organised this meeting at, that was the first thing that i went to in this job, two years ago! beautiful garden, it had … . that’s cool 😉

As a big Trek fan, I can’t wait to see this movie. Great to hear the movie has managed to entertain and satisfy a non-Trekkie like yourself Luke! Though I don’t think I’ve ever heard Spock being called “a bit of a twat” before. That’s a first.

I’m interested to know Buck, did you sense that the movie was intended to allure non-Trek fans? The Star Trek franchise has been struggling in general the past few years with its most recent TV series (Enterprise) canned after only four seasons, and I’m just wondering if they tried too hard to “recruit” new Trek fans with this movie at the expense of leaving the more hardcore fans feeling empty? I guess I’ll know for sure when I see it.