Old Jaffa port window (Image)

(Photo: Dave Bender)

Comments and critique on content, style and technique are welcome.

All in all, just another prick at the wall (Video - Images)

(Photo: Dave Bender)

"Pink Floyd front-man Roger Waters, who inspired the rock band's iconic album "The Wall," has scrawled "tear down the wall" on the concrete panels of Israel's security fence on Wednesday.

Dave here, Mr. Waters. Here's what I know about that wall; I'll try to keep journalistically professional:

Welcome to our neighborhood. I took that above picture a few hundred meters from my living room, from where I write this post, where my children sleep, where I live, here in Gilo. Maybe you were scrawling your aristo-rocker's screed on the other side, maybe nearby.

"The barrier was the first stop on a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories for Waters, who had been criticized by some fans for planning to play a concert in the Jewish state. "It's a horrific edifice, this thing," Waters told reporters as he stood beside a section of the barrier in Bethlehem."

Yes, the "Jerusalem Envelope" is an ugly "edifice," as you smarmily put it. Unfortunately, so are the results of suicide bombings, like those of Jerusalem Egged bus No. 32, which I and my children ride almost daily. Shani Avi-Tzedek, one of 19 killed and 74 wounded in the blast on June 18, 2002 was the child of neighbors of mine.

I hear the early morning police helicopters, Mr. Waters, seeking out Palestinian infiltrators into my neighborhood - you do not. Well, perhaps it's harder to hear on stage or in London. Here are reminders.

From the Israel Foreign Ministry website:

"Hamas [which now head the Palestinian Authority-ed.] claimed responsibility for the attack and identified the bomber as Muhamed al-Ral, an Islamic law student at An-Najah University. A preliminary investigation indicated that he had made his way from Nablus to Bethlehem. From there he infiltrated Jerusalem's southern city limits the night before the bombing, despite a massive deployment by police and soldiers alerted by intelligence warnings of an attack in the capital.

"Al-Ral boarded Egged bus no. 32A from Gilo at 7:50 A.M. at the stop in Beit Safafa, an Arab neighborhood opposite Gilo, and almost immediately detonated the large bomb which he carried in a bag stuffed with ball bearings. The blast destroyed the front half of the bus, packed with people on their way to work and schoolchildren. Of the 19 victims, 17 were residents of the Gilo neighborhood."

Mr. Waters, when the terror ends, the wall falls. It's that simple, and no inane buzz words written for you to say to the claque of sycophantic reporters and pr shills will change a damn thing until that happens. Until my triplets, and others Israelis are safe from sadistic killers trying to get to them, after we kiss them goodbye at the door as they go off to school.

From a talkback poster on Haaretz:

"Someone should explain to Waters that if the fear of suicide bombings has gone down enough for musicians such as himself to begin to come back to Israel, it is precisely because of the security barrier.

"Someone should also explain to him that Palestinian snipers will be unable to take pot shots at his convoy as he drives on certain sections of Israel`s highway system because of those parts of the barrier that are a concrete wall.

"And finally someone should tell Waters that quite a few young Israeli fans of his will be unable to attend his concert because, before the barrier was up, they rode on the wrong bus or sat in the wrong cafe or ate in the wrong restaurant or attended the wrong wedding party or went to dance to his music in the wrong club. Unlike the wall, their lives are over for good."

This just in: 'N. Korea’s heir apparent follows Eric Clapton tour '

(Yes. I know this post's not about Israel, Jews, Palestine, Kassams, settlers, etc, etc. But, in the classic words of "Keef" Richards: "I know it's only 1, 4, 5 - but I like it.")

As I often tell colleagues, interviewers, family and friends - often about local news - but this is the exception that proves the rule: "news reality has parody absolutely beat cold."

from Drudge:
N. Korea’s heir apparent follows Eric Clapton on tour in Germany:

"North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il's son and heir apparent, Kim Jong-Chol, toured Germany earlier this month to see concerts by rock star Eric Clapton."

Obviously, of course, the the real question is which version of Layla he holds with... slow,
or "the real thing."

(Personally? Yours truly is listening to the "real thing" at volume ten as I write this post... gawd, that Bobby Whitlock piano coda, like cooling waves breaking on the beach at sunset with the snare drum snapping on the shore, after the white heat dual guitar solo between Eric's stinging licks through the overdriven Fender amp and rip yer' heart out lyrics over George Harrison's Patty Boyd, as Dwayne Allman's Coricidin bottle slide passion slinks in via "glassed" Marshall 4/10's; meanwhile drummer Jim Gordon's bangin' em' like fireworks to save his life, as bassist Carl Radle holds the hurricane together. Modern incandescent musical poetry, incarnate... "like a fool, I fell in love with you - turned my whole world upside down..." N'est pas?)

Man, I liked writing that.

And here I was, thinking I was being "edgy" and "out there" with this post about parody and Abbagav.

Talking Israel on London's 'TalkSport' Radio (Podcast)

London's talkSPORT Radio 1089/1053 am and digital radio has an overnight radio show similar to Israel Radio's Nightbirds, or Conversations with Listeners Overseas, with the ahh, accent on - you guessed it - sports. Umm, not exactly my strong point.

In this case, however, talkSPORT presenter Ian Collins' informally-formatted program engages in chats with journalists worldwide, covering their beats, as well as the lighter side of news and events from a local perspective.

So, no goals and sports stats (thankfully) on this, our premier two-way (at the ongodly hour of 0200 - got to do something about that...), but light, easy conversation with Ian & Co. at their London studio. Great fun, all in all, and we hit on a few current topics, as well as why a visit to Eilat can actually be a spiritual experience...

Looking forward to talking with them again soon; maybe we can trade notes on London-based Israeli Orthodox supermodel Havi Mond. Over to you, Ian.

Muslim opposition styming Israel's entry to Int'l Red Cross (Deja vu)

I wrote about this issue a few years ago at the then-hopeful beginning of the admissions process, in an article for for www.Israel21c.com:

"Red Cross officials from around the world gathered in Israel last week for a three-day disaster management workshop hosted by Magen David Adom, which marked an unofficial welcoming of the Israeli rescue service into the brotherhood of the International Red Cross.

"The workshop was organized in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation), and the American Red Cross (ARC).

"According to Douglas Allen, Director of the American Red Cross International Disaster Response Unit, the fact that the conference was held in Israel is proof that the MDA has 'joined the ranks' of the international rescue service community."

Ya' know, youd'a thought that Israel's done quite enough worldwide in health care, emergency triage care, rescue services and cubic acres of chicken soup to get beyond petty bigotry and racism. Especially for those in the Arab and Muslim world, so many of which have been treated in Israeli hospitals, both on and off the record for decades.

Color me naive.

From The Jerusalem Post:

"An attempt to end Israel's long isolation from the Red Cross humanitarian movement hit a snag Tuesday as Muslim opponents used procedural moves to block progress at a decisive international conference, delegates said.

"The International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, which opened Tuesday and is expected to conclude Wednesday, is being asked to approve changes to meet Israeli demands of almost six decades that it be granted full membership without using the cross or crescent to identify itself."

Gov't press chief on Kassams: Any other country would protect their citizens as Israel does (Podcast)

Young Israeli residents of Sderot don cloth protest bracelets against Palestinian Kassam rocket strikes on their town. Sign in background: "We're not the nation's sitting ducks." (Dave Bender)

Hear Danny Seaman, Director-General of the Israel Government Press Office, talking about the nonstop Kassam attacks into southern Israel from Gaza, asserts that any other country, "under such attack as the residents in Sderot are, would do everything - everything to prevent hostile firing at their homes, their children, their schools."

Seaman, speaking with Israel At Level Ground, also charges the Palestinians with violating the Geneva Conventions in their Kassam and Katyusha missile barrages, due to their being fired from within civilian areas.

(Update on Sderot residents' strike at Ynet News)

Sderot mayor, residents 'livid' over 'Peres-ona non grata' remarks

Sleepless Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal at press conference last week, with Government Press Office Dir.-Gen. Danny Seaman (Dave Bender)

Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal, who shut down the town this morning in protest over the near-nonstop barrage of Kassam rockets, says he's "livid" over Vice Premier Shimon Peres' remarks to reporters yesterday at the Knesset parliament: "Qassam Shmassam," understood as pretty much telling the battered residents to shut up and suck it in.

Peres, oleogeniously backpedalling in a chat with Israel Army Radio's feisty Razi Barkai, said he'd been misunderstood, and was quoted out of context.

Moyal told an Army Radio interviewer just before the Tuesday, nine AM broadcast: "I, and Sderot's residents are livid over Pere's statements, and I am considering declaring him 'persona non grata.'"

Israeli VP Peres: 'Qassams shmassams' as Sderot goes dark and despairing residents leave (Video)

More and more Kassams are slamming down in Sderot, but Vice Premier Shimon Peres just doesn't "get it" about all the brouhaha: "This hysteria over the Qassams must end," he told journalists at the Knesset. "We're just adding to the hysteria. What happened? Kiryat Shmona was shelled for years. What, there weren't missiles?"

(Just a wee bit, oh, I dunno', insensitive there, Shimmy? Funny, but when I asked exactly that question of Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal at last week's press conference. "Has Sderot become the 'new' Kiryat Shmoneh?" He responded that there was no comparison, since the residents of Kiryat Shmoneh in the Galilee panhandle, one hill over from Lebanon were prepared for the attacks, with safety rooms, bomb shelters, national support, fast IDF reactions and that they had several minutes to prepare - not 10-15 seconds.)

"The vice premier also accused the management of the Israeli side: "Our response is causing the other side to strike. We must carry out a series of steps in order to take out the Qassams. Peres refused to detail which steps he meant."

Ahh, Shimmy, shimmy, ko ko, bop, really now... ya' got the Nobel, got the Peace Center, got the influence, hasn't the time come for the pipe, slippers, trusty dog (or Sonia - your call) at your side, and getting started on those memoirs?

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)