May Allah Bless and Keep the Tsar...

far away from us!

Survey

Does this picture from the front page of the Forward make you think of:

a) a thong,
b) the triangle trade in slaves, or
c) a hamantaschen?

"שלום לאזרחים, אזרחים סוג ב, אזרחים סוג ג, וערבים"

Eretz Nehederet on Lieberman:



Haaretz offers an English translation.

military-telecommunications complex

New York Times, 1/10/09: " Israeli intelligence officers are telephoning Gazans and, in good Arabic, pretending to be sympathetic (and then proceeding to) ask about local conditions, whether the family supports Hamas and if there are fighters in the building or the neighborhood."

YNet, 1/11/09: "Palestinian organizations launch new campaign to boost Gazans' morale during Operation Cast Lead, post ads urging people to dial random telephone numbers in Strip to send messages of support."

Note the unspecifics of the YNet story. Is it possible that the Israeli media is covering the army's tracks? Or worse, doing their dirty work? Then again, the story seems plausible...

Why has it gotten to this point?

better late than never, i guess

Peace Now and Meretz FINALLY begin protesting the war.

Hey peaceniks, some of us were out marching right when this shit started!

(picture pending, for now, behold)

Why the delay? Oh right, you supported it...good one, Jumas.

talk about a country that needs new politicians

Stupid war

For an empathetic look at the difficult situation of residents of Israel's south, called into their bomb shelters with just 45 seconds notice, we have satirical show Eretz Nehederet: [no Hebrew knowledge really needed]



In non-war related terrible awesome things, this random Kadima supporter's catchy Livni tune is really fucking catchy:

Classy

Newly appointed Obama White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel's father proves that once in (pre-state Jewish terrorist group) Etzel means always in Etzel:

In an interview with Ma'ariv, Emanuel's father, Dr. Benjamin Emanuel, said he was convinced that his son's appointment would be good for Israel. "Obviously he will influence the president to be pro-Israel," he was quoted as saying. "Why wouldn't he be? What is he, an Arab? He's not going to clean the floors of the White House."

Saudi styling in Bnei Brak

Faces of women in movie ads? An abomination! Good thing the morality police took care of the issue:


That's actually not funny at all.

Yesh Matzav, friends in the news

http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3618185,00.html

May God bless and keep the Czar,

far away from us! Jewish history education, Boneh style: Sculpting the shtetl.

This chocolate spread-smeared bamba represents my great-grandmother, raising chickens to support my great-grandfather's Torah study:

And here we see the role of Yiddish in the shtetl:

Gezundheit.

Sexy officially back on Egged buses

One great thing about Israel for my sense of humor is the kibbutz galuyot, the ingathering of the exiles. For example: If Zionism had never instituted that principle, how would I have ever learned what old Ethiopian men and JT have in common?

Items found in new apartment

At the meeting point of tradition and modernity:


L'chayyim!

Tel Aviv in the kingdom of the spirit

Yom Kippur scenes:

Kikar Rabin #1



Kikar Rabin #2



Shuk Hacarmel



Rothschild Boulevard


"Lettuce is murder"

odd choice of words

BBC: "Iran unveils plan for women's car".

באופי שלך

Attention hip, young, good-looking consumers.

Do you like to dance? Does your hair fly around as you move to the beat?



Do you have an ipod? Do you drink milkshakes? Do you enjoy babies? And graphic design?




If these symbols signify a demographic you want to be considered part of -
Meretz is your in!
Vote yourself cool. Vote Meretz in municipal elections.

Pulse and gait

From the New York Times travel section:

But if the intermingling of many different kinds of people is what gives Tel Aviv its pulse, it’s the clash of old and new that still gives this city its surprising and slightly uneven gait...

Tel Aviv is “half Iran, half California; it’s a synagogue meets a sushi bar,” ... filled with impossibly good-looking 20-something surfers and hipsters...

Not to toot my own horn, but the themes of this article would probably most perfectly be illustrated by my snap of this Migdal Hameah shopper:

Living a holy life

I'm not religious, so it's less relevant, but I know someone who could really use this:

Gay shul's siddur features prayer for 'unexpected intimacy' (JTA)

Send that link to Moshe Katzav. Or just put it up in his office for the employees...

sheikh mate: the herb for leaders

Lebanese Druze jefe, Walid Jumblatt drinking yerba mate (apparently)

We don't pitch on Yawm Kipper

Haaretz learns about Jewish history from the Coen Brothers:

"However in 1965, Koufax's team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, played the Minneapolis Twins in the World Series, and the game was scheduled for the afternoon of October 6, which also happened to be Yom Kippur. As the team's best pitcher, Koufax was asked to pitch the first game. Koufax refused. He informed the team's management that he did not pitch on Yom Kippur. That refusal has turned out to be the single greatest moment of Kiddush Hashem (Sanctification of the Name) in American history, so much so that in the movie The Big Lebowski, actor John Goodman could say, 'three thousand years of beautiful tradition: from Moses to Sandy Koufax.'"

Caucasus Table Reports

During the height of this summer's Caucasian crisis, the Russian Foreign Minister responded to the British Foreign Secretary's demands by asking, "Who the fuck are you to lecture me?"

Apparently, someone. Foreign Secretary David Miliband is the grandson of a Red Army vet and the son of a leading Marxist. Who knew?

Wouldn't it be great if we had a Secretary of State (or Foreign Minister in Israel, for that matter) with such illustrious parentage? Screw Black Republicans and the Irgun, gimme more Jewish commies.