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Birthdays & Brilliant Ideas

I

've been thinking about birthdays
list is to get a good massage. I love mas-
lately and about how I'm getting older. sages. In fact, I have an idea that could
Interestingly enough, "old age" seems
boost tourism, international relations
to be getting older each year, too! As the
and the economy all in one swift swoop:
saying goes, "Old age is always at least 15 Replace all the shoeshine stations in air-
years older than I am:'
ports with really good massage people.
And the older people get,
Then everyone gets on the plane
the harder it is to get them a
with relaxed shoulders, a nice
good birthday present. I think
little hydrating water bottle and
that's because as we age, all we
scuffed shoes (but relaxed and
really want are things like world
happy people aren't so judgmen-
peace, nachas (joy) from the
tal, so that doesn't matter.)
kids and the miracle of a bal-
Oh, and the massage people
anced checkbook. So when you
will just massage. None of that
tell your husband your wish
Roche! B urstyn chop-chop stuff at the end that
list, he's like, "Hmm. Yeah ...
instantly has you re-tense up.
I'll buy you a doughnut." And then you
I mean, we take off our shoes at the
spend the rest of the day arguing about
security check-in anyway. Imagine if
how he never listens to you.
they threw in a freebie foot massage!
Not that that's ever happened to me.
The sign could say "Cold feet about fly-
I'm just saying.
ing? Do planes make your toes curl? Get
Am I alone in feeling that the one
off on the right foot!" (Or is that too
thing I would really appreciate for my
corny?)
birthday is a glorious few hours of rare
Whether it's world peace, a nap, a
uninterrupted sleep? But what exactly
massage ... good birthday gift ideas are
are we implying — that our dearest wish all over the place. There are so many
is to be in a state of blissful unconscious- things family members can do without
ness, oblivious to the world around us?
even spending money: They could wash
A close second on my birthday wish
the dishes. Do the laundry. And then lis-

ten to the birthday girl say for the rest of
the day, "Was that so hard?" and "Why
can't you do that more often? Why only
once a year?" (You can tell I'm channel-
ing a mother here, right?)
December birthdays are the best!
Everyone's already in a celebratory
mood and the cold is a great reason
to settle down with a hot chocolate or
ice cream sundae — whichever you're
in the mood for — because diets don't
start till the New Year. (Helpful tip: If
you go to sleep at your regular time on
Dec. 31, then when you wake up it will
already be at least seven hours into the
New Year and you won't have broken
your resolution yet, a fact that can be
quite motivating for at least another few
more hours.)
Both New Year's and birthdays are a
great time to reflect and appreciate the
fact that we've been granted another
year on this fascinating planet of ours
and have some truly wonderful gifts —
the people in our lives.
Don't worry so much about your
actual age — after all, age is just a num-
ber that changes depending on who's
asking! *

editorial

Peace With Hamas Not Realistic

I

ntermittent shelling coupled with
another pledge to annihilate Israel
dash any hope of Hamas, which rules
the Gaza Strip, entertaining a long-term
truce with Israel.
To mark its 28th anniversary this
month, Hamas — a U.S.-, Israel- and
European Union-declared terrorist orga-
nization — spurned peace and applaud-
ed the three-month wave of Palestinian
terror waged against Israel largely by
unorganized young Palestinians from
the eastern sector of Jerusalem and the
West Bank.
It's no wonder the U.S. State
Department, in the wake of "heightened
tensions and security risks:' has placed a
travel warning on Israel and Gaza as well
as on the West Bank, which is controlled
in part by Israel and in part by the
Palestinian Authority.
Hamas' political bureau chief Khaled
Mashal, living in exile in Qatar, has
issued a call for the path of "jihad [holy
war], sacrifice and blood" as the only way
to achieve an internationally recognized
Palestinian state. The United Nations
recognizes "Palestine" — the Gaza Strip,
the West Bank and east Jerusalem — as a
nonvoting observer state.

On Dec. 14, Hamas' military wing, the
Izzedine Al Qassam Brigades, reinforced
its fighting spirit by staking claim to a car-
ramming attack by a Palestinian driver in
Jerusalem that injured 14, including an
18-month-old boy who lost part of a leg.

INGRAINED HATE
Sunni Hamas is a proxy of Shiite Iran.
They share a common hatred for the
"Zionist infidel" — namely, Israel — in
their Arab- and Muslim-dominated
neighborhood that is the Middle East.
Hamas also is a funder of Islamic
State, a Sunni enemy of Iran, in Egypt's
Sinai Peninsula on Israel's southern bor-
der. Hamas struck the deal in exchange
for support in smuggling military equip-
ment and material into Gaza.
More than 20 rockets fired from
Gaza have hit Israeli territory this
year, according to the Israel Defense
Forces (IDF). Since its 1987 inception,
Hamas claims its war against Israel has
unleashed 16,300 rocket attacks, 86
suicide attacks, 36 stabbing attacks, 500
border infiltrations, 250 shooting attacks
and 26 abductions.
While those numbers are bad enough,
it's equally haunting that Hamas now can

mass-produce projectiles. Its arsenal can
reach Israel's largest population centers:
Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and as far north as
Haifa. Hamas also claims to be holding
IDF soldier Staff Sgt. Oron Shaul, who
Israel declared killed in action last year
during the Gaza war.

STUNNING PARAMETERS
Punctuating its push to erode Jewish
sovereignty in any form, Hamas espous-
es "heroic resistance against Israeli
soldiers and settlers" in order to secure
"the right of return — a sacred, nonne-
gotiable individual and collective right:"
A Jerusalem Post report cited Hamas
vowing to "never compromise even one
inch or grain of its soil or holy ties:'
Hamas brazenly sees "Palestine
stretching from the Jordan River to the
Mediterranean Sea:' arguing the "Israeli
occupation" includes all of the State of
Israel.
There can no calm along the Israel-
Gaza border until Gazans pine for civi-
lized leadership and become capable of
achieving it. Of course, that isn't likely
given their daunting indoctrination,
under dictatorial rule, to despise Israel
and blame it for their plight. *

Your
Legal Issues

HNY - PLANNING TIME!

What do you suggest
for 2016?

As we cross the calendar
year, it's the time to assess
what needs to be done for
the upcoming year. First
on your agenda should be to make
sure you have your estate plan in
order. A Will, Revocable Trust (to
avoid Probate), Durable Power of
Attorney (so your spouse or child
can act for you if you are unable) and
a Healthcare Power of Attorney (to
address critical care health issues)
are essential. Young couples with
children need to make sure they
have appointed a guardian for their
children in case a disaster occurs.
Next – are your finances are in order?
Stated simply, are you on course to
have enough savings for retirement
that you will be able to sustain your
remaining years? On this point,
you need to make sure you are not
wasting your retirement by paying
high interest on credit cards month
after month, year after year. Call us –
we can address these issues.
Happy New Year!

L

THAV GROSS has been

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and financial problems since 1982.
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Bingham Farms, MI 48025

December 31.2015

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