Netanya: IKEA, bowling & 'Emtsa Ha'Derech'

Been away from the keyboard for a few days, as Mazal, Inbal, Avner and I took off a few days at the beginning of the week as guests of the "Hayeinu" cancer-support organization.

Family counselor Ze'ev Weingarten arranged a three-day stay at the "Blue Weiss Hotel," a classy serviced-apartment/hotel in Netanya, at full-board in a two-room suite facing the sea. Sorry - they don't seem to have a website up at the present time... hmm.

After settling in (along with near gale-force winds and rain from the first big storm of the season - but great weather for ducks), we did what any self-respecting Israeli does when visiting the Netanya environs: we stopped off to gape at the home furnishings at IKEA, that Swedish Mecca of the Near-East, of course.

Those clever Swedes, (all together now kids - let's hear those Sesame Street "Swedish Chef" 'oopie-doopies' ring out!) after dissing Israel for years with the Arab blacklist - even reportedly refusing to ship here from "up there," they all-of-a-sudden decide to open a major outlet at the busy "Poleg" Junction along the Tel-Aviv-Haifa highway. Hard cash on the hardwood talks louder than scores of political yammerings, huh guys?

Next morning out, we went over to "Ye Olde Industrial Zone," where we were first on the lanes at the Netanya Bowling center. Since it was Mazal's first time bowling, she, of course, rolled a strike. Notice those final scores. Read 'em and weep, boys...

After showing off all our best "Flintstones" twinkle-toed bowling technique, we headed back down stairs to Netanya's own "Emtsa Ha'Derech - Road Radio - 90FM." For those reading this abroad, what's referred to here as, "regional radio," means that local stations are free to set their own content and playlists, get local advertisers etc, but link up to a national radio network on the hour for "Channel 10 news."

Co-owner and program director Margalit Hadar graciously gave us a tour of the (impressive) facilities, stopping to sit in along with 11-year veteran DJ Nir Eichel during the broadcast of his "Bingo" morning-drive game show. It was great being back behind the mike - even if it was someone else's and I kept my mouf' shut...

And the blogroll keeps marching along...

Mucho toda to "Celestial Blue" for adding yours truly to her blogroll. Now, I have a lot more to live up to, since she's a damn sight better and more proactive photoblogger than I am, not to mention having leaves and a Canadian autumn that lasts more that two weeks...

Drove through what is a great approximation of the dark side of the moon, straight through to the morning star yesterday evening to pick up a donated TV. More about that later today.

In the meantime: "We drove along the Jerusalem-Dead Sea Road until we came to Alon Road. And that is when I realized we were really off the beaten track. Except for the well-paved road, there's nothing man-made for miles, just mounds of sensuously curved sand in pinks and beiges, a landscape like none I'd ever seen before."

One of my daughters broke her leg at school yesterday - chasing a boy to slap him, apparently - and I will be with both her, and my older daughter Inbal Chaya, at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital writing up the rest... what a way to blog.

'Blue State Blues... Dollywood Values'

Thank God for wickedly good parody. Here in this region, parody is often - no, make that usually - kicked far back in the shade and rendered impotent by increasingly ludicrous reality. Iowahawk is in the side of the wrong business, not to mention residing on the wrong landmass; he needs to get over here quick and start pumping out copy for the major news agencies. It's at least as good as anything they put out:

"'I'm not sure where we went wrong,' says Ellen McCormack, nervously fondling the recycled paper cup holding her organic Kona soy latte. 'It seems like only yesterday Rain was a carefree little boy at the Montessori school, playing non-competitive musical chairs with the other children and his care facilitators.

"'But now...' she pauses, staring out the window of her postmodern Palo Alto home. The words are hesitant, measured, bearing a tale of family heartbreak almost too painful for her to recount. 'But now, Rain insists that I call him Bobby Ray.'"

"'During a cross-country trip to New York, he stopped at the Iowa 80 Truck Stop in Walcott, Iowa, and bought a John Deere gimme cap as a gag souvenir,'" says Levin. "'Within a year, he had dropped out of graduate school, abandoned his SoMa apartment, and and was working at a drive-thru liquor store. Today he is a wealthy televangelist in Bossier City, Louisiana.'"

"Mighty quiet out there tonight... Yeah - maybe a little too quiet, you know?"

Here's the latest batch of audio I got out to radio stations in the States on events here in Jerusalem during and after the Arafat funeral. These and other exclusive reports, regularly updated, are available at my beta sitehttp://mister_d1.tripod.com/(patience - some clips will take a few moments to download and autoplay in a new window):

Public Security, acting Tourism Minister Gideon Ezra on security concerns and tourism, chaotic funeral of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat and future relations with successors.
Security Minister: hopeful about PA

Supt. Gil Klieman on national high security-alert, after interment of Arafat coinciding with end of Ramadan prayers. Florida. Friday, Nov. 12, 2004.
Police spokesman: high terror alert

Latest update on comatose Arafat, plans for funeral, developing Palestinian leadership triumverate. WINK/WNOG Radio, Ft. Myers, Florida. Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2004.
Arafat & the PA: the day after

Segment of a live international report on the US absentee ballot and voters in Israel for WINK/WNOG Radio, Ft. Myers, Florida. Wednesday, Oct, 20 2004.
Elections 2004: US voters in Israel
'Democrats Abroad' Israel branch

Audio: News & Features
Text: News & Features

Archive report: Jerusalem bus No.19 bombing: Eyewitness report

Blogrolling: Keep That Card and Letter Coming In...

Mucho todas to Jewsweek's "The Yada Blog," and "Israellycool," for adding me to their blogroll. Guys, the check is enclosed in the javascript. May you grow and prosper, and your servers ever reign.

And all you other bloggers? Well, do keep that card and letter coming in...

Now why do I suddenly somehow feel like Steve Martin madly waving the telephone book in the air in, "The Jerk?" This is the kind of spontaneous publicity I need! My name in print! That really makes somebody! Things are going to start happening to me now."

And now, back to the news: Yasser Arafat is still seriously dead.

Palestinians at Friday afternoon prayers in Jerusalem Old City alleyway, near Al Aksa Mosque and Western Wall plaza.
Posted by Dave

Border policeman in alleyway near Temple Mount with Muslim prayergoers during Friday prayers in Jerusalem's Old City, at conclusion of Ramadan month. There was no significant violence, besides minor stonethrowing incidents, police report.
Posted by Dave

Internal Security and Tourism Minister Gideon Ezra at Western Wall plaza. Some 15,000 Muslims took part in the regular Friday service on the Temple Mount, above the Western Wall, seen in background, at the conclusion of the month of Ramadan.
Posted by Dave

Western Wall plaza during Muslim prayers ending Ramadan month. Border Police SWAT teams line the earthern ramp in the background leading to Mograbi Gate entrance to the Temple Mount, with security forces possibly outnumbering Jewish worshippers. Meanwhile, PA Chairman Yasser Arafat's chaotic funeral is taking place in Ramallah, several miles to the north.
Posted by Dave

Arafat funeral: Ramallah roils as Jerusalem rests

Tens of thousands of grief-stricken Palestinians swarmed around the two Egyptian air force helicopters returning the remains of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat to his Ramallah "Muka'ta," headquarters Friday afternoon.

Masked gunmen fired in the air, as the massed sea of mourners dragged the coffin out of the helicopter bay, the doors barely openable from the crush.

Rescue and security forces were overwhelmed by the tremendous disarray at the event, with a number of Palestinians reportedly wounded in the melee, possibly from gunshots fired by the masked militias.

Sweating, screaming "we will avenge your memory, oh, Arafat," and, "Jerusalem," the human mass "paraded," the coffin over their heads to the hastily-erected, and reportedly mobile mausoleum on the rubble-strewn compound.

Arafat's coffin was quickly interred in the stone structure, as Palestinians vowed that the gravesite was a temporary arrangement, until Arafat's remains were transferred to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, five kilometers to the south, in a hoped-for future deal with Israel.