Sderot media under-coverage: hope amid despair

I reiterate my previous call to Israeli bloggers, readers and supporters, both here and abroad, with thanks to the many who are already standing by.

Allison at Israelity just about nails what I am feeling these recent days and weeks about events in Gaza (with the pain over unintentional civilian deaths) - and Sderot:

Every time I read about what is going on in Gaza I am continually surprised and disgusted. This Haaretz article reports about an abandoned IDF raid on a house in Gaza. They warned the resident of the place to leave, and were planning to hit it - because it is known as a weapons storage facility. Someone “called out the troops” as it were - and groups of Palestinian civilians (also terrorists? hard to tell) came to protect the house.

You read correctly - they were willing to risk their lives in order to save the ammunition held inside.

And our media colleagues? Omri at Mererhetoric writes in a white heat:

This one kind of goes along with the "why are Palestinian threats of genocide OK just because they're really pissed off" post that''s just below. Except it's more like "why are Palestinians actions that are totally evil and inspired by 9th century barbarism OK just because they're really pissed off".

Meanwhile, just across the way (but, apparently light years from our policymakers) in Sderot - where all those weapons are aimed - over a thousand this year alone, Rinat at Balagan - a seasoned reporter who's seen enough mayhem in her career, is moved to tears, after interviewing schoolchildren about living (living? - barely coping is more like it) under the daily rocket barrages.

In the words of Professor Efraim Inbar, writing in The Jerusalem Post:

The fear of military casualties and the subsequent hesitation on part of Israel's leadership to conduct military operations also constitute a violation of the basic social contract around which a state is built.

The Zionist rationale was founded on the desire to end the helplessness of the Jew in the Diaspora by building a Jewish state whose main function was to defend its Jewish citizens - by force if necessary. (...) While foolproof defense is not always a realistic goal, the Jewish state seems to have difficulty in fulfilling its most basic function - providing security to its citizens.

Four thousand Katyushas during the last summer as well as the continuous downpour of Kassams on Israeli settlements in the Northern Negev raise the question: Why should Israelis pay taxes to build and strengthen an army, if the state is reluctant to use the military force at its disposal for the protection of its citizens?

Piles of spent Kassam rockets stacked behind Sderot's police station (Photo: Rinat)

Why indeed, Ehud?:

"I am against causing southern residents to flee their homes, and against millionaires' PR maneuvers on the account of people for other considerations," the prime minister told the ministers.

He added: "Do they want to portray us as people who flee their homes? Will we leave Kiryat Shmona, Tiberias and Safed empty? Is this not a declaration of surrender?"

You tell us - better yet, tell the children of Sderot. And while you're going - take Dan and Amir with you.

And don't let the door slam allayouse' in the ass on the way out.

Previous Sderot coverage is here, and daisychains backwards.

And finally, (yet again) posting this press conference with Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal:

Sderot Mayor: 'Kassams? We Stopped Counting'

'Bowel-ing' in the holyland: Forget 'four to a lane'

Herb Keinon at The JPost has a stick-to-the-ribs look at local bowling (or "bowel-ing," as it tends to be pronounced here, in the language of the Prophets) ah-umm, "customs."

Watching Israelis bowl provides a fascinating insight into society. First of all, it is clear that this is a group-centered society. There is no four-people-to-a-lane rule here. Rather, bring the extended family and sit them right down. As a bowler who likes to concentrate, I've had my focus shattered by having the misfortune of ending up in a lane next to groups of six, eight and even 10 people.

Big fun - and so true.

Jerusalem Faces: Mahane Yehuda open-air market (Photos)

"Purple Daze" (Photo: Dave Bender)

Hiya, hiya, hiya. Been away, and really under the weather, but went to Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda open-air market this last Friday for shopping and pics. Juggling a camera and several shopping bags at once, while dodging elbows, hawkers and the maddening crowd is an acquired skill, I'll tell ya...

I'm preparing a movie/slideshow of the images I shot there, but here's some at my Flickr site in the meantime:

My comments on the photos are at the Flick site, Your comments (be nice! Firm, but nice...) are welcome.

"Hero of the Soviet Nation" (Photo: Dave Bender)

Israel's wildly successful YouTube dance duo do it again! (video)

Remember those two women who had a monster YouTube video of them lip-synching a Pixies song?

With a single three-minute dance video, two young Israeli women accomplished what the country's public relations officials have been after for decades - gaining an audience of 10 million adoring viewers.

With the help of YouTube, a Web site that allows people to watch and share videos for free, Lital "Tasha" Mizel and Adi "Dishka" Frimmerman have made their lip-synching interpretation of rock group The Pixies "Hey" the fourth most popular video of all time, with 9,993,604 viewers to date.

Well, get on your dancin' shoes, 'cause, they're back! From their video page:

Me and Dishka created, edited and danced to the
cute song from the 60's "Do you love me" by "The Contours"
and the song: Dr. Demento - Funny Farm "They're Coming To Take Me Away."

We were inspired by "American Apparel" cool clothes!

(HT: Omri)

EXPOSED: Borat, Ahmadin-what's-his-name are imposters!

Boy, are our faces red!

Looking back, we can only laugh at our unblinking acceptance of Ahmadinejad, an "Islamist hard-liner" dressed like a Turkish used car salesman, who called to wipe Israel off the map or move it to Alaska, demanded a manual recount of Holocaust victims, and banned all Western music.

The hoaxers' identities were uncovered last week when both Misha and Sacha had been picked up by New York City police while on a dinking spree in Chelsea, after a local man complained about a pair of deranged Middle Easterners harassing passers-by with demands of clean prostitutes and an immediate annihilation of Israel. The arresting officer recognized both the "Iranian President" and the "Kazakhstani journalist," and within minutes sold the story to the New York Post.

Post with utterly no redeeming Jewish, Israeli, or Palestinian value...

Sometimes at night, scientists stare out at the vast universe, and they wonder what’s out there. They wonder if it’s wondering about us. They wonder if whatever's out there is, at that very moment, looking down and marveling at the Great Wall of China or the glimmering lights of our magnificent cities. Or the giant faces of our fast-food mascots.

After many months of secrecy and hiding enormous tiles behind its back whenever anyone walked in the room, KFC revealed an 87,500-square-foot smiling mug of Colonel Sanders yesterday, installed in the Nevada desert near Area 51 (of course). The icon has earned KFC the distinction of being the world’s first brand to be visible from space, made possible by some 50 designers, architects, engineers and astrophysicists who surprisingly didn’t have more pressing tasks to attend to.

(And to think: I spent my high-school, wonder-years, jes' a-slavin' away over a deep-fat fryer at - of all things - the competition: Church's Chicken... damn good spicy chicken, though - treif as hell, but good!)

Appeal to Israeli bloggers: Town hall meeting in Sderot (UPDATED)

(UPDATE) Thanks to all, like Yid With Lid, who are writing in. Keep those ideas coming, and I'll let you when and what develops. DB

In the wake of this morning's lethal Kassam rocket barrage in Sderot, and the lack of a coherent, effective, and ongoing Israeli government media response, not to mention the chronic under-coverage by international - and often local media, I am calling upon Israeli bloggers, and Israel's supporters abroad to work together as a non-partisan group to hold a town hall-style meeting in Sderot.

This meeting should include full, real-time video/audio/written/photographic coverage, as only the blogosphere knows how, including one-on-one and voxpop interviews, first and foremost with the beleaguered residents, on-the-scene analysis, and reax from local and national officials and experts.

I welcome thoughtful responses offering practical ideas for organization and content, underwriting, invitees, format, etc with an eye towards international coverage, and making it happen as soon as practical.

Sderot: Kassams kill woman, wound def. minister's guard

Sderot billboard: "Who's next in the lottery?" near site of
repeated Kassam rocket strikes. (Photo: Dave Bender)

Defense Minister Amir Peretz, are you hearing the message yet? (then again, maybe the shorthand use of "def" in the title really is the proper term...)

Westbankblog puts it best:

What Will The World Say When We Die?

We all know how apesh*t the world went when the IDF fired, by mistake, and killed Palestinian civilians in Beit Hanoun while targeting terrorists. What will the reaction be to a Jewish woman killed by Kassam rockets deliberately aimed at civilians?

Enraged? Hysterical? Upset? Concerned?

I doubt it.

Come on world, prove me wrong.

From Ynetnews:

Six rockets land in Western Negev Wednesday morning. One lands in busy street, kills woman and seriously wounds one of Amir Peretz's bodyguards. Locals call on government to 'wake up'. Islamic Jihad, Hamas both claim responsibility.

Sderot children donning protest ribbons at May 2006 protest tent
demanding effective government action against years of
Kassam rocket strikes. Meanwhile, the barrages continues.

(Photo: Dave Bender)

Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal at May press conference calling for a stronger

government response to the ongoing steel rain. (Video: Dave Bender)

Gmail: !werbeH ni woN

How do I change the text direction while composing a message?

If your Gmail interface language is set to Arabic or Hebrew, you'll be able to select either Left to Right or Right to Left directionality when composing a message. A message can contain any combination of right-to-left and left-to-right paragraphs. By default, Gmail starts composing a message with the Right to Left button active in Hebrew and Arabic interfaces.

To change the text direction:

At the beginning of a message or new paragraph:

1. Click the Left to Right button in the formatting bar of the compose window. The cursor will move to the left side of the compose pane.

Of an existing paragraph:

1. Highlight the paragraph to edit
2. Click the Left to Right button in the formatting bar of the Compose window

Noo Yawkah gives Borat knuckle sandwich - My knuckles are feeling the love

This is soooo satisfying:

BORAT star Sacha Baron Cohen was beaten up by a passer-by after he tried to play a prank as his alter ego.

He approached the man and said: “I like your clothings. Are nice! Please may I buying? I want have sex with it.”

But the bystander didn’t see the joke. He took one look at Cohen and punched him in the face.

The funnyman — known for his Borat catchphrase “Jagshemash!” — yelled for help but was slugged again and again.

New York, my kinda' town...

And not to seem prejudiced against the rest of the good ole' US of A, here's the response of a southern resident to the humoristic stylings of Mr. Cohen: