Closer to the maddening crowd: A shoutout to the blogosphere (Image)

Just noticed that I'd gone over the 1,000 visitors mark. Very, very nice, for a few short weeks work, all in all. Thanks to all of you out there who have taken to time to write, link, note, crosspost and, in general, wander around the place, kick the tires, and offer suggestions for futzing with the template and functions.

Just wondering, for those coming here from The Continent and points east, (a big welcome and, do mosey over to the bar, and try the canapes). What gives? France? Belgium? Spain? The UAE? Asia? Whassallthatabout?! Geez', am I flattered... Anyway, Bienvenue! mi casa es su casa, Ahlan wa'sahalan, marhaba!, (etc, fill in your local language or dialect) and all internationally recognized checks, money orders and travelers checks are most welcome, as are Paypal donations whenever I get around to pasting it into the template.

Ahem, I started this blog a few years ago, let it lie domant for a too-long period due to many life changes: jobs, raising triplets, waves of bloody terrorism, wars, train wrecks; I'm sure you all know the drill, right?

And now a shoutout to the crowd: So, ahh, what brings you here?
What kind of podcasts would you like to see more of?
More pics? Video? Local breaking news? Personal "slice of life" stories?

Whatever.

And, not to totally waste bandwidth on my personal yammering, there's great pictoral coverage of the Talk, Walk and Rock with Israel rally over at Solomonia. What about closer to home, you say? Sigh.

Why not go meditate on this, instead (I shot it the evening before a humongeous storm hammered the Netanya shoreline).

And now for something completely different

Just got back from an afternoon visit with AbbaGav.

Damn. Damn, damn, damn. Where have you been all my blogging life?!

He (She? It? Them?) is, apparently, channeling Iowahawk, until someone fiddles with the rabbit-ear antenna, and then it's alt versions The Borowitz Report and/or old episodes of Satirewire.com, with a sprinkling of Onion flakes on top.

Damn, I miss the old NatLampCo. these days. Especially this, and, oh, this, which goes along with this, and certainly, of course, this.

There. That's better.

And now, back to our previously scheduled mayhem.

(Any other ripping good parody out there, people? Let us know in a comment)

Clever Caption Contest: Winner gets to hold the phone (Image)

(Dave Bender)

Clever Caption Contest. Leave a Comment: Winner gets to hold the phone.

Sderot: The 'lucky' corner (Image)

(Dave Bender)

The billboard over the Lotto betting kiosk / "Eli's steakhouse" says, "whose turn is next? and beneath it, "Eli's steakhouse - The Lucky Corner." Some luck, especially for Mayor Eli Moyal, at the municipality, located just to the right of the sign.

I shot this photograph in Sderot last week, during a lull in the Kassam rocket barrage, just after interviewing Moyal, who was by that point, utterly frustrated, and by today, well beyond frustration.

Moyal, has - quite justifiably, I think - called for a total shutdown of the town's services, as well as a host of other sanctions including blockading all roads leading into the town in protest over the lack of government response to the lethal steel rain. Including that of veteran resident, Defense Minister Amir Peretz.