Cheesecake for Tolerance

More scenes like this, please. Oh, I know "white shoes after Labor Day," and that dress on the poor thing on the far right just screams "Goth-slut-cum-Lawrence-Welk-singer." But consider the obstacles. This is the "Miss Seamline" beauty pageant, underway today in the Israeli town of Gilo, near Bethlehem, on the West Bank. Both Israeli and Palestinian girls from the local communities on both sides of the line are invited to participate.

I haven't seen a write-up of this year's contest (AP only has moved photos so far), but last year most of the Palestinian girls were scared off at the last minute. I'm hoping the turn-out is better now (though I expect most of the Palestinians will be Christians). The beauty contest is meant to promote peace between Israelis and Palestinians in a region that has been a flashpoint of violence.

It may not be much, but great things can come of little meetings.

LYSISTRATA .... Good day, Lampito, dear friend from Lacedaemon. How well and handsome you look! what a rosy complexion! and how strong you
seem; why, you could strangle a bull surely!

LAMPITO Yes, indeed, I really think I could. It's because I do gymnastics and practise the bottom-kicking dance.

CLEONICE And what superb breasts!

LAMPITO La! you are feeling me as if I were a beast for sacrifice.

LYSISTRATA And this young woman, where is she from?

LAMPITO She is a noble lady from Boeotia.

LYSISTRATA Ah! my pretty Boeotian friend, you are as blooming as a garden.

CLEONICE (making another inspection) Yes, on my word! and her "garden" is so thoroughly weeded too!

Unfortunately, not far away and at about the same time, the scene looked like this: