The Israel Wayback Machine: (pre, pre, pre, pre- 'Skype Out')

One Jerusalem has a cute item illustrating what I've been trying to tell my kids for a long time: what using telephony here was like BEFORE the Internet, and the advent of SkypeOutMSNMessengerAOLYahooGoogle, cellphone SIM cards, prepaid calling cards, you-fill-in-the-blank, etc...

Click here or on the image for the translation

Ok, granted, they go a bit further back than I was aiming for - 1925(!) - but hey, the dialing instructions for calling Bethlehem from Jerusalem (about two whole miles - tops) are worth the price of admission. What I still don't though, get is where the "asimon" telephone token goes:

Remember these? My kids don't.

(Crcoss-posted at Israelity)

A sudden suicide bombing. Slowly (Video)

From Vital Perspective:

A television commercial aimed at thwarting terrorism has hit Middle Eastern television networks using high-tech time-suspension "Matrix" effects to show the anatomy of a suicide bombing in graphic detail. The $1 million ad uses the film techniques to show bodies, cars and broken glass flying in slow motion through the air:

This Just In! Barbie: the ME conflict edition

Co-blogger and journalist Allison (welcome back from the land of the round doorknobs), over at Israelity posted a great pic (via Danya) of Barbie all, er', dolled out for Simchat Torah:

Meanwhile, though, Hamas, in an effort to beat the Jews (literally and figuratively), and gearing up for more "struggle" in Gaza against the IDF and neighboring Sderot's residents, has wasted no time in bringing out their version of the dimunitive "dosit" - just in time for the festive end of Ramadan:

Ahh, fashion Barbie. Such a harsh mistress.

McDonald's - I'm Hatin' it!

A group of about 15 "twenty-something," self-described animal-rights supporters and anarchists held a protest vigil outside the downtown Jerusalem branch of McDonald's Monday evening.

The group, blowing whistles and shouting through a megaphone, called on passersby near the Ben-Yehuda pedestrian mall not to eat at the restaurant, due to what they described as the food corporation's harmful policies.

"McDonald's puts profits before people, animals and the planet," group leader Amnon Keren, 24, of Jerusalem, told Israel At Level Ground, and called on Israelis to boycott the chain.

Keren, noting that the group had numbered about 30 earlier in the afternoon, added that similar vigils were being held concurrently in front of branches in Ra'anana, Kfar Saba, Haifa, Rehovot and Beersheba, as well as at many locations worldwide today.

There was a brief, non-violent, altercation with a diner, who, stepping out to protest the noisy demonstration loudly argued with Keren over the usefulness of such vigils.

A small crowd of about 20 pedestrians gathered across the narrow street, and spirited discussions about the eatery were bandied about. Several, apparently bemused, kipa-wearing Jews, ironically found themselves on the same side of the ideological divide as the protesters, due to McDonald's non-kosher status because the chain is open on Shabbat.

Demonstrator in front of downtown branch,
as Ronald and "Happy Meal" look on. Poster:
"McDonald's 'McExploits employees.'"
(Photo: Dave Bender)

Diner, waving ice cream cone in face of protest
group leader, argues that noisy demonstration
disturbs those inside eatery. Lower poster:
"McDonald's 'McPoisons' children."
(Photo: Dave Bender)

(Cross-posted at Israelity)

JerusalemOnline news update: 00:00, Oct. 16th (Video - Channel 2 TV)

• Police to A-G: indict President Katsav for rape
• Gaza: Hamas stockpiling arms, anti-aircraft missiles
• First winter rains cause flooding in north

Click on image for latest Israel
Channel 2 news update

Tel Aviv: Dimension X

(Photo: Dave Bender)

(Cross-posted at Israelity)

Glowing aliens come ashore at Tel Aviv, surround beachgoers

(Photo: Dave Bender)

JerusalemOnline news update: 00:00, Oct. 13th (Video - Channel 2 TV)

Today's Headlines:

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• Iran to train Hamas operatives
• IAF strikes Hamas operative's home, kills young girl
• Kassam hits Sderot causing blackouts
  
  
  
  Click on image for latest Israel
  Channel 2 news update

'Mike's Place,' Tel Aviv keeps rockin' the blues (Video)

(Video and photos: Dave Bender)

Blues jammers extrordinaire, Dov and Assaf put on a great show for the crowd at Mike's Place bar, on the Tel Aviv shore Wednesday night, Oct, 11.

The nationally famous pub was the scene of a suicide bombing on 30.4.2003 that killed three and wounded over 50, perpetrated by two Hamas - dispatched British Muslims.

Despite the lethal attack, Mike's Place reopened on Israel's Independence Day, and continues hosting a full house most nights and is a blues and classic rock-and-roll magnet in Israel.

More about Mike's Place: here, here, and a feature-length film, "Blues By The Beach."

More about Dov and Assaf is here.
(Photo: Dave Bender)

(Cross-posted at Israelity)

Flipping out Hitler

You just think you know who this is:

The winners have yet to be announced, but the 200-plus finalists in Iran's "Holocaust International Cartoon Contest" were recently exhibited in Tehran and posted online.

And though not among the finalists, the above image was part of a cartoon accepted into the contest, one of over a thousand entries accepted. The cartoonist's name, Hugh Bradley, can be seen on the contest's list of participants under USA.

Obviously a cartoon featuring Adolf Hitler could be appropriate for such a contest, but there's more to the image than meets the eye. It also contains a hidden message critical of the Iranian regime.

We know this because "Hugh Bradley" is really Cox & Forkum.

Ah, what the hell, while we're at it, let's go for the Full Monty:

Click on image, or here.