KISS Army sides with Israel
One of my rock and roll heroes, Gene Simmons, sent a video greeting to Ron Weinreich, a tankist and a massive KISS fan wounded in Lebanon.
Weinreich’s brother had his wedding relocated this week to the hospital, so his brother could attend. At the wedding, the surprise recording was played.
“Hi Ron, this is Gene Simmons. I’m talking to you from my home. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you, and how much the world and Israel owes you a debt of gratitude,” he said. “From the bottom of my heart, you are a real hero, you are everybody’s hero, you are my hero and I wish I could be there with you.”
Suddenly switching to confident Hebrew, Simmons added: “My name is Chaim, I was born in Haifa.”
He concluded by saying in English: “I wish you my best, a happy life and I hope the wedding comes off and everybody should honor you because you are a real hero.”
Rock over Tel Aviv!
It’s not the end of the world…
So it’s past midnight and Iran didn’t launch a nuclear missile at us as Bernard Lewis predicted.
I spent the day cowering in my bathtub with a wet towel draped over my head.
Super Furry Animals - It’s Not the End of the World? (MP3)
(Buy the album!)
Gawker: Jews are so over
Already Over: Jews
It was a good run, that’s for sure.
David Blaine to give Israel a little magic
Harry Houdini, Josef Kavalier, David Copperfield, David Blaine…Jews like magic. As do I. As a kid I dabbled a bit in the “dark arts” myself using my very own Harry Blackstone Jr. Magician starter kit.
Grand illusionist, street magician and endurance king David Blaine will be arriving in Israel this week to perform for residents in the north, at a few army bases, wounded soldiers in hospitals as well as displaced children in the south. Blaine, interestingly enough, was born in Lebanon to a Jewish mother.
The Ministry of Defense have yet to comment if they will be using Blaine’s skills to make Hizbullah vanish once and for all.
Pres. Ahmadinejad’s malicious blog
An Israeli blogger receives a virus alert while visiting Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s new blog. Fluke? Uber-sensitive anti-virus software? Or are the Iranians trying to infect computers with Israeli IP addresses with malicious viruses?
Read about it here.
Security Absurdity
From my travel agent’s latest newsletter:
For now only Britsh Airways has made the most drastic restrictions to hand luggage: With immediate effect, the following arrangements apply to all passengers starting their journey at a UK or United States of America airport and to those transferring between flights at a UK airport.All cabin baggage must be processed as hold baggage and carried in the hold of passenger aircraft departing UK airports.
Note:
Passengers are advised that ALL electrical or battery powered items including laptops, mobile phones, portable music players, remote controls etc cannot be carried in the cabin and must be checked in as hold baggage.Passengers may take through the airport security search point, in a single (ideally transparent) plastic carrier bag, only the following items.
Nothing may be carried in pockets:
a. pocket size wallets and pocket size purses plus contents (for example money, credit cards, identity cards etc (not handbags));
b. travel documents essential for the journey (for example passports and travel tickets);
c. prescription medicines and medical items sufficient and essential for the flight (eg diabetic kit), except in liquid form unless verified as
authentic.
d. spectacles and sunglasses, without cases.
e. contact lens holders, without bottles of solution.
f. for those travelling with an infant: baby food, milk (the contents of each bottle must be tasted by the accompanying passenger) and sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight (nappies, wipes, creams and nappy disposal bags).
g. female sanitary items sufficient and essential for the flight, if unboxed (eg tampons, pads, towels and wipes).
h. tissues (unboxed) and/or handkerchiefs
i. keys (but no electrical key fobs)Every other item must be carried in customer’s hold luggage. U.S Airlines are banning all liquids in carry on baggage.
El Al has not made any changes whatsoever in their policy; and European airlines have also not announced any changes. To be on the safe side, avoid taking liquids or gels in your carryon for the near term.
The bubble bullshit
The detachment I was having from the war a few weeks back has completely vanished. With friends from the north staying in shelters and/or leaving their abodes for missile-free zones and a growing group of friends and acquaintances now currently defending our homeland from those intent on destroying us, that not so much of a surprise, is it? I know I’m not alone. All these articles about Tel Aviv detachment and living in a bubble. Bullshit I say. There is no one who isn’t affected somehow by this war. We all know someone who is currently fighting up north. And we all feel pain when we read the obits of all the soldiers who are killed defending our country.
I don’t know. The tipping point for me was two-fold. The first was getting a frantic call from a friend who was just a hundred meters away from the ketyusha missile that killed 13 soldier’s last week. The second was receiving a chilling sms a few days ago from a dear friend in the reserves right now that read Anachnu Olim L’Gvul. We are heading to the border.
And with every unnamed soldiers death I read, I know that my friends are unreachable and the only way I’ll know if they are ok is when the names of the killed are published.
You’re On Notice!
I made my very own Steve Colbert “You’re On Notice!” board. Good times.
Anyone you care to add?
War against Hizbullah infiltrates Lollapalooza!
This past weekend’s Lollapalooza festival didn’t escape the war in the north when Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips took a few seconds at Lollapalooza over the weekend and asked the crowd to sing “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song “as loud as you can ’cause we gotta stop Israel from fucking bombing Lebanon.” Considering Coyne literally spends much of his life in bubble, we shouldn’t be surprised by his myopic comment.
Patti Smith, playing in the children’s tent at the festival debuted a new song about “the recent Israeli bombing in Lebanon, and included lyrics about misshapen corpses and severed limbs.” You can hear her song “Qana” at her website. Actually, don’t bother, it’s a piece of shit and it doesn’t mention the guy in the green hat.
Member of the tribe Matisyahu who also performed at the festival made mention of the situation as well. According to Jim Derogatis of the Chicago Sun Times he focused on “what is happening in Israel” rather than the deaths in Lebanon, the singer did ask the crowd to say a prayer for peace “directly into God’s ears.”
Back from the bed
Today is the first time in over a week that I can sit at my desk for more than ten minutes without experiencing excrutiating pain. Blogging resumes. Thanks for all the good wishes and suggestions. What I learned about back pain from the comments:
Try Pilates: Good for building muscle, am looking into this option.
Do Yoga: I’m not sure I’m the yoga type.
Dr. Sarno: Cultish but effective. I remember reading about this in Howard Stern’s book Miss America. I’m an emotionally closed person, so I don’t think this is going to work for me.
Chiropractor: Been there, hasn’t done shit.
Oatmeal and Tobasco on the knee: This one was so out there that I actually tried it. I left the combo on my knee for about ten minutes and felt no change. I contacted the commentor and he told me the reason why it didn’t help is that I used the flavor maple brown sugar instead of raisins and spice. He also said that I should have used Tabasco brand rather than Frank’s Hot Sauce. I’ll never make that mistake again.
Allegations of being in IDF Special Forces: Uh, no.
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