A CNN reporter in Israel was interviewing an Israeli veteran of the 1967 War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War who was now a scholar and a distinguished member of the Knesset. Attempting a different approach the interviewer asked the wise statesman, “If you could use just one word to describe Israel what would it be?”

Irritated the elder statesman replied, “How foolish can you be? How can anyone describe the fulfillment of a 2000 year old dream in only one word? How can you surmise the suffering, the depth, the commitment to God in only one word? How can you assemble Jews from all over the world into this land of miracles and find one word to describe such a feat of history and human potential?”

Stubbornly the reporter persisted, “I know this is challenging, but if you could, what word would you choose?”

Impatiently the statesman replied simply, “Good.”

Somewhat dissappointed and perplexed, the reporter asked, “What if you could use two words?”

He paused and replied, “Not good.”

Tips to Bruce Tuchman

My dad just spent a week at the Medical Center in Macon, GA. He is doing fine.

The Medical Center’s Main Entrance is located on Hemlock Street. The pharmacy in the building bears the last name of the owner; David Graves. (Graves Pharmacy).

I am told that they changed the street name because past 3rd street it is Oak Street and 50 years ago that was a center for prostituion and they did not want the hospital associated with that area. That is interesting but was Hemlock the only alternative?

Just seems odd. I am glad Terminal Avenue is several blocks away.

for my literary friends out there…..

These are the winners of the “worst analogies ever written in a high school essay” contest run by the Washington Post:

McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty Bag filled with vegetable soup.(Paul Sabourin, Silver Spring)

From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and “Jeopardy” comes on at 7 p.m. instead of 7:30.(Roy Ashley, Washington)

Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze.(Chuck Smith, Woodbridge)

Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.(Unknown)

He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree.(Jack Bross, Chevy Chase)

The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.(Gary F. Hevel, Silver Spring)

Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.(Jennifer Hart, Arlington)

The politician was gone but unnoticed, like the period after the Dr. on a Dr Pepper can.(Wayne Goode, Madison, Ala.)

They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.(Paul Kocak, Syracuse, N.Y.)

John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.(Russell Beland, Springfield)

His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.(Chuck Smith, Woodbridge)