Salaam, my friends. Yes, I'm back.  miss me?  It's hard to make a comeback. You gotta have something really good. And I do! I just found this article...(hah! you didn't think I would actually write something MYSELF, did you?)

Slain Palestinian boy's organs donated

Father says child's spirit is alive in 'every Israeli'

                                               

NABLUS, West Bank (AP) -- The father of a Palestinian boy shot dead by Israeli soldiers said Monday he believes his son's spirit is alive in "every Israeli" after donating the boy's organs to Israelis waiting for transplants.

Ismail Khatib said he was extremely proud of his decision, even if some corners of Palestinian society might be upset with him.

"No one can tell me what to do," he said. "I feel very good that my son's organs are helping six Israelis. ... I feel that my son has entered the heart of every Israeli."

Khatib's son Ahmed, 12, was shot Thursday while Israeli troops conducted a raid in Jenin. The soldiers said the boy was carrying a toy rifle and they mistook him for a militant.

Ahmed died of his wounds late Saturday at an Israeli hospital. On Sunday, his kidneys, liver, lungs and heart were transplanted into recipients ranging in age from a 7-month-old baby to a 58-year-old woman and including Jews, Arabs and a Druse girl.

Khatib said the decision to donate Ahmed's organs was rooted in his memories of his brother, who died at age 24 while waiting for a liver transplant, and in his family's desire to help others regardless of their nationality. He said he hoped the gesture would send a message of peace to Israelis and Palestinians.

"We're talking about young children. Their religion doesn't make a difference," he said.

Some Palestinians privately questioned the donation, especially in light of the circumstances of the boy's death. But Khatib, a car mechanic, said his fellow residents in the Jenin refugee camp offered him only praise.

Israel has a chronic shortage of donor organs that many medical officials attribute to Jewish religious taboos against such donations.

Riad Gadban, whose 12-year-old daughter Samah had been waiting five years for a heart, called the donation a "gesture of love." He said his daughter was weak Monday but had opened her eyes, was alert and speaking to relatives.

Gadban, whose family belongs to Israel's Arabic-speaking Druse community, said he spoke to an uncle of the boy Monday.

"I told him I'm very sorry and thanked the family from the depths of my heart," he said, adding that he invited Ahmed's family to visit him.

Khatib said the many phone calls he received included a conversation Sunday with Israel's acting finance minister, Ehud Olmert, one of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's closest confidants.

He said Olmert apologized for the boy's death and invited him to Jerusalem. Khatib said he had not yet decided whether to accept the offer.

Today, I watched an ABC special feature about Peter Jennings.

He was good guy. He really was.

Let's face it...it'll be awhile before we get another national anchorman who goes past things like the Michael Jackson and OJ Simpson trials and actually talks about the world.

the world? you mean it's not just about us?!

So, thanks, Peter. For making Americans acknowledge concentration camps and ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, showing the Arab side of the Middle East conflict, reminding us of global epidemics like AIDS and oh so much more.

the evening news will never be the same.

Everyone’s Favorite Frog

As the first season of ‘The Muppet Show’ comes out on DVD, Kermit looks back on his 50-year career.

Aug. 6, 2005 - It's not easy being green—or is it? Kermit the Frog is now pushing 50, from the day Jim Henson created him out of fabric from his mother's coat. Everyone's favorite frog made his debut on "The Tonight Show" in 1958, co-hosted "The Mike Douglas Show" in 1966 and saw the premiere of "The Muppet Show" in 1976. The star of six feature-length movies, with a voice that doesn't croak, Kermit spoke with NEWSWEEK's Ramin Setoodeh.

Excerpts:

Kermit the Frog: I am just living my life as a frog. At the moment I'm at home at the swamp, where I like to spend my spare time. I always go back to my roots when I'm not working. It keeps me centered.

Does the smell prevent visitors?
Well, it's not so much the smell. It's the mud and the mosquitoes. There's not a lot of traffic through here.

Do you get mosquito bites?
No. For me, it's a food source. They have to worry about the biting part.

The first season of "The Muppet Show" is coming out on DVD. I remember watching it as a kid. Are there any episodes that stand out in your mind as memorable?
You know, we did five years of the show. I look back really fondly to those days. It wasn't easy getting a show going back then as a frog. We depended on our friends that first season—people like Juliet Prowse and Joel Grey. Ethel Merman may have been the first singer in history who could reach the whole audience live. She had this voice that could blast through different countries.

Did anyone need earplugs?
I didn't. It’s questionable as to whether or not I have ears. We actually shot that show in England. After the first season, we were this new thing—and everyone thought we started in England because we were such a big hit over there.

Was it hard living on the other side of the pond?
It's one of the biggest ponds I've ever lived on the other side of. During that time, I got to meet the queen. It was an honor for me. After all the years in show business, I got to meet someone who could turn a frog into a prince.

Did she give you a kiss?
She did, as a matter of fact. Nothing happened. I think she turned and kind of spat—that's what queens do. They don't spit, they spat.

You did "Sesame Street" as well. Is Big Bird a big diva?
Big Bird is terrific. It's an odd thing, he's being doing "Sesame Street" for 37 years but he's only 6 years old.

I hope you don't think this is too personal, Kermit, but are you still dating Miss Piggy?
The official answer is yes. I can give you a scoop. Should I tell you this? You could put this in the press—I could get hurt really badly. I get around when I'm in Hollywood.

Do you only date pigs?
I've only ever dated one pig. And that is Miss Piggy. But I think a lot of men can empathize with that. Probably women, too.

What was the last movie that you saw?
The latest "Star Wars." Yoda and I go way back. We both auditioned for that role at the time it happened. I don't know why they chose him exactly; we're exactly the same size.

You're not green with envy?
I'm always green, with various emotions. Envy could be one of them. But I guess I wasn't wrinkled enough. Of course, that's a good thing.

How often do you see the old gang?
We're together pretty often these days. We did this “Muppets' Wizard of Oz” film last year, which was great fun. People stay consistent through the years and they grow and change—it's like a high-school reunion every time we get together.

Who had a better voice—Ashanti or Miss Piggy?
Well, I'm going to go out on a limb and say Ashanti. But you know that's a tough call in my case. For most people it would be an easy call—tough for me.

Other movies in the future?
We certainly will be. We also just finished doing a Christmas album, with a lot of normal carols and some originals. I did “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” We're always talking about doing new stuff on TV. There are reality shows now. I think what we're best at is surreality—we're more surreal.

Is there ever fighting on the set?
Sometimes. There's a particular person who I work with often who sometimes causes problems.

Would that be Animal?
I won't give you her name. It's a she. But her initials are Miss Piggy. She can be difficult. But she's an artiste, or at least that's what she says. I see there's no problem with my arguing with that. It was a tough schedule working on "The Muppet Show." We'd spend hours and hours—trying to get Piggy out of her dressing room.

Is your dressing room bigger today than when you started?
Well, actually, I don't have a dressing room. We can only afford one dressing room, and I think you know who gets that.

So where do you change?
Well, it's pretty easy for me, because I normally appear naked.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8854190/site/newsweek/