Frederic

I'm so confused. That's what my GR has been looking like at least since last month. The last time I visited before that, was probably in July, so memory and all that, but I thought it always looked like this. Am I missing something? - Anika Malone

it's looked like the first image or the 2nd Anika? - Zee.

The first,because I didn't notice a second image. Now, I see the difference. It's not that bad. The blue on the sidebar, is ugly anyway. Reminds me of Yahoo! circa '94. - Anika Malone

@Anika @Zee you gotta see the second image (with the little arrow) -- that's the new one - Jorge Escobar

lol... - Zee.

Personally a big fan of the new look, much cleaner and professional - Matt Harwood

Two things that I don't like. One is the Windows-y look and feel of the subscriptions area. The other: I used to rely on the colour in order to differentiate between read and unread articles, but now that they've lightened the blue, it's harder for me to do that. Instead, I have to rely on the boldness of the article's title. I guess it will take some getting used to. - Paul Grav

The "split" is a healthy thing. Just like in Algiers: in the end - only a small minority of the French people kept viewing Algiers as "Southern France" - and without public backing, they've collapsed. The "split" has already happened when settlers started attacking Israeli peace activists and even soldiers. They're no longer "Eastern Israelis". The real problem is that it's *government* policy to allow/fund settlement expansions in violation of agreements same regimes (even "leftist" ones) keep signing. - ĎÚβĨŐÚŚ Dod

The Israeli government, under both right and left regimes, has fully supported the settlements movement, which is driven by the most extreme religious ideologues in Israel. One might reasonably conclude, therefore, that the Israeli government really hasn't the slightest intention of working out a peace agreement, and has only been pretending to do so, using peace negotiations as a stalling and delaying tactic with the hope that new larger Mideast wars will finally derail the Mideast peace process forever. Meanwhile, the United States is being passively dragged along by this crazy train towards Armageddon, with nary a peep from most politicians. AIPAC has already loaded up Obama's White House with assets who will keep Obama in line. Rahm Emanuel will be his chief minder. - Sean McBride

"One might reasonably conclude, therefore, that the Israeli government really hasn't the slightest intention of working out a peace agreement..." As soon as the so-called 'right-of-return' ofPalestinian refugees is off the table, then all things are possible. As soon as the Khartoum Resolutions are repudiated http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20t... then all things are possible. Your bias, Sean, is that you refuse to acknowledge the Arab/Palestinian/Muslim role in perpetuating the conflict. Sad. - Al Pasternak

Al - that's not a fair statement. I've said several times that I don't believe that either side to this conflict is interested in compromising. They've made that clear by their words and deeds. I am predicting that this situation will end as a catastrophe, unless there is a major change in attitude on both sides. Why did Labor continue to build settlements when it knew that they would make it nearly impossible to reach a peace agreement? Labor said one thing, and did another. - Sean McBride

What's the best solution to this mess? Good old Americanism -- stop organizing states around ethnic and religious groups. That's the modern way. But few people living in the Mideast are interested in trans-tribal living arrangements, apparently. - Sean McBride

Al, it is not about "If .... gone/off the table then..." Don't forget that the major reason Israel was recognized in 1948 by the then new UN was to have this right of return for Palestinians. It would be a demographic catastrohpy if they let it happen now, i admit. IMO there is no "more" or "less" innocent sides. They have the roadmap and have to sit and try to have a two state solution. - Hayk

i think a single state for all is better ... - Gregory Lent

That's the current trend -- forget two states. One state based on democratic equality for all, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Minorities in this new state should enjoy the same rights as minorities in the United States and other Western democratic nations. - Sean McBride

makes sense in terms of water, roads, electiricity, labot allocation, eventual intermarriage! - Gregory Lent

The main obstacle: ethnic and religious militants on both sides, who profile out like Ku Klux Klanners in the United States. - Sean McBride

Sean:You never post stories about Hamas, Fatah or Hezbollah and their complete refusal to negotiate or compromise, only Israel. You ascribe so much influence to a tiny minority of religious Zionists who are being arrested by the Israeli government but never about the Islamists who control the governments, weapons and media in Lebanon [Hezbollah] Gaza [Hamas] and the West Bank [Fatah] who clearly and without reservation call for the elimination of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state of Palestine - Al Pasternak

"who labelled the provocative billboard "appalling" and said it demeaned the holiness and meaning of Christmas." Oh give me a break! - Sofia Gkiousou

As a strictly non-religious person, I say; "Hell yeah that's offensive". It's not like it's challenging creationism or anything, it's just needlessly offensive to a lot of people for no good reason. - Sean