golden oldies

Ehud Barak meet with his cousin HosniMu in Sharm al-Sheikh for talks about Hamas and hashish.

Fadicha!

Oops, the super awesome military embarassed itself a tad when showing off its super awesomeness:

Eight people were injured - two seriously, one moderately and five lightly - when a paratrooper mistakenly parachuted into the stands where spectators were seated during an Independence Day air show along Tel Aviv's Jerusalem beach on Thursday.

Also great was when the air show announcer said the airplane sounds were not noise but "the music of independence". I heard independence means you have fancy weapons! Yeah!

Ayatollah Magorium's Islamic Emporium

An Iranian official is launching a campaign against Western toys. "Undoubtedly," says Prosecutor General Ghorban Najafabadi, "the personality and identity of the new generation and our children, as a result of unrestricted importation of toys, has been put at risk and caused irreparable damages."

As you can imagine, the Western media is having a field day with this. Nevermind though that yesterday's Washington Post ran a piece exclaiming how an American TV show toppled the Soviet Union. After all, "popular culture...is every bit as important as chin-stroking politics in fomenting real social change". The article goes on to point out other examples of "throwaway cultural products influence far-flung cultures in ways that are impossible to predict or control".

For example, you'll see the effects of Dungeons and Dragons on the Iranian constitution when Najafabadi's letter is discussed by the Council of Guardians or the Assembly of Experts...

Free Tibet (Made in China)

Check the label.

It's like when I bought my Israeli flag from a Syrian...

unless you've been living under a rock

Wondering why Hillary won't drop out already, Barack Obama tries to convince her with baby face...

and enlists blonde baby at diner bar, irate at lack of results (and milk shake).

Thou blind Pharisee

1950: Law of Return rules "every Jew" has the right to move to Israel

1962: Supreme Court rules Jews who convert to other religions forfeit their aliyah rights

1970: Amendment to Law of Return extends aliyah rights to the children, grandchildren, spouses, and spouses of children and granchildren of Jews

This just in from the Supreme Court: Converts to other religions can make aliyah if they are children, grandchildren, spouses, or spouses of children and grandchildren of Jews (ref. 1970), only if they are not the offspring of Jewish mothers.

Take that, Walt and Mearsheimer!

Canadian Gregory Levey relates his experience voting in the UN for Israel in Salon. It's fascinating (and disturbing), have a read:

I knew that Israel usually voted along with the Americans, its closest ally and supporter. And since there were no Israelis around to tell me what to do, I figured that I might as well just ask the Americans....

"Um, yeah," I said, drawing out my words awkwardly and almost stuttering. "I'm, uh, representing  Israel at this meeting...I just wanted to know if you would mind telling me how you guys were going to vote."

...he whispered, "We're voting no."

Our huddle broke then, and I fought the urge to give the American diplomats a high-five.