How 'bout that boat cont.

J added this, bringing us up to the moment (even if J's moment is six hours ahead, in which case we're past the present):

More news on flotillas like this one, please!

Israel's media is making a bigger deal outta this flotilla thang than the Turkish media are.  Top story in the Turkish media (at least yesterday) was the killing of a buncha soldiers? by suspected PKK (the Kurdish separatist/liberation/whatever mob) "terrorists" (I put it in quotes in that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter kinda way.....yup, until it's your rellies/compatriots that get killed).  A few of the braver Turkish commentators were asking why Abdullah Gul (Turkey's PM) and Turkish groups were getting involved with the Pals since the Turks have enough trouble on their own doorstep (with the PKK/Kurds), that aid going to the Pals could be better used in Turkey, and why is Turkey bothering with the Pals anyway since the Pals helped the Brits kick the Ottomans outta this neighborhood (this is an area with long, long memories).

And for the ultimate in thoroughly fucked up [referencing my thanks for explaining one of the more complex, fucked up political scenes on earth to the simple minded], I just got email that the US Embassy in Tel Aviv is warning American citizens in Israel to stay far away from the West Bank and cities with large Arab pops, including Haifa, due to fears of outbreaks of violent protests over this flotilla thang.  Haifa???  Violent protests???  I walked all over this city this morning and it was the usual quiet to the point of Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.   They really haven't a clue what goes on day to day here.....*sigh*.....  

And so it is.