'Protocols of Zion:' It's all true - and here's the toe-tappin' tune...

So good, so, Jewishly, Israeli-y in your face. I love it. From Rav Shmuel, himself:

The Protocols Of The Learned Elders of Zion is a book which purports to be a record of the wicked plans and tactics the Jewish elders use to take over the world. The Protocols were actually written in Paris sometime between 1895 and 1899 by an agent of the Russian secret police though Anti-semites don't think so. In particular, within the last few years there have been several TV series on Arab TV which have assumed this book to be true. I think the whole thing is funny in a sad and twisted weird way - so here's my take on it...

The Song for this video is on the Album called by the same name: Protocols - released by JMG.

(H-T: Bagel blogger, who sez': I'll be looking closely to see if Mahmoud Ahmadinejad adds this CD to his Amazon account...)

Synopsis: Despite all the evidence, millions around the world continue to blame the Jews for 9/11. This belief is a modern-day incarnation of the infamous "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," the century-old forgery that some people claimed to be the Jews' master plan to rule the world. Filmmaker Marc Levin sets out to understand why "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" has been revived, and to challenge one of the most persistent, insidious conspiracy theories of all time. In the course of his explosive journey, Levin finds himself delving into the heart of hate, facing those who would traffic in bigotry, all in the name of God.

Light's Most Exotic Trick Yet: So Fast it Goes ... Backwards?

Too cool for words. But, don't try this at home, kids - you might suddenly vanish and end up in next week, or something...

In the past few years, scientists have found ways to make light go both faster and slower than its usual speed limit, but now researchers at the University of Rochester have published a paper today in Science on how they've gone one step further: pushing light into reverse. As if to defy common sense, the backward-moving pulse of light travels faster than light. Confused? You're not alone.

Read the astonishing rest here.

Really, slowing light down to plain ole' walking speed is so "old skool." Here's a great short story about what doing it does to society.

(H-T: Craftwork of a Jewitch)

'Borat - Cohen:' Looking for Jew haters in all the wrong places

"Borat" is many things: a sidesplitting triumph of slapstick and scatology, a runaway moneymaker and budding franchise, the worst thing to happen to Kazakhstan since the Mongol hordes, and, as columnist David Brooks astutely points out, a supreme display of elite snobbery reveling in the humiliation of the hoaxed hillbilly.

But it is one thing more, something Brooks alluded to in passing but that requires at least one elaboration: an unintentionally revealing demonstration of the unfortunate attitude many have toward working-class American Christians, especially evangelicals.

My thoughts exactly, Mr. Krauthammer. Where were you when I posted this on Nov. 13th: Noo Yawkah gives Borat knuckle sandwich - My knuckles are feeling the love

Thanksgiving in Israel

Jerusalem blogger Brian Blum takes a look at celebrating Thanksgiving in Israel. I partook at a festive meal here many years ago, but - it just didn't feel right, and gave up on celebrating the holiday, for the "local customs," like, y'know, Shabbat:

Every year, just about this time of the month, I get a flurry of emails from friends and colleagues all with pretty much the same message. It goes something like this:

“Happy Thanksgiving, that is if you celebrate it over there…er, do you?”

So, what do immigrants from the U.S. to Israel do on the fourth Thursday of November? Well, for many years, we kept up the traditions of the old country. Together with a group of friends, we got together for a feast of turkey and stuffing, cranberry sauce (if we could find it in the stores…difficult but not impossible), and pumpkin pie.

As a slight twist, we made it an adult only dinner party, to contrast it from the weekly meal with guests that we already celebrated once a week with the whole family…you know, the one called Shabbat…

Read the rest.

More about lighting Shabbat candles.

Lebanon: Getting out the dead vote

From The Wall Street Journal:

Former Secretary of State James Baker has been saying that, when it comes to diplomacy, you don't "restrict your conversations to your friends"--shorthand for the view that the U.S. should engage Syria and Iran to find solutions in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East. But yesterday's murder of Lebanese Minister Pierre Gemayel might remind even Mr. Baker and his Iraq Study Group what some of those non-friends are all about.

"The hand of Syria is all over" Gemayel's assassination, said Saad Hariri, the leader of the parliamentary bloc that helped evict the Syrian army in the spring of 2005. Mr. Hariri knows whereof he speaks: His father, former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, was blown up with 22 others in February 2005, and the preliminary U.N. investigation offered a trail of evidence pointing to Damascus as the culprit.

Meanwhile, in the Lebanese blogosphere, Beirut Spring charges that, "When it comes to covering Lebanon, Aljazeera is scandalously biased."

More details at The Daily Star.

JerusalemOnline news update: Nov. 22nd (Video - Channel 2 TV)

• Israeli dies after Kassam rocket hits Sderot
  
• Lebanese industry minister assassinated in Beirut
• Members of Bnei Menashe tribe return home from India
• The Terror Challenge – click to watch a special analysis

Click here or on image for latest
Israel Channel 2 news update

Lebanese blogosphere outraged over Gemayel hit

The Daily Star:
Prominent Christian politician Pierre Gemayel was assassinated in a suburb of Beirut on Tuesday his death will heighten the political tension in Lebanon, where Hezbollah has threatened to topple the government if it does not get a bigger say in Cabinet decision making. Full Story

International reactions.

And here's a quick roundup of what appear to be decent Lebanese bloggers - local and expat - covering the Pierre Gemayel assassination, and possible ramifications for our neighbor to the north:

Lebanon Blogs:
Gunmen opened fire Tuesday on the office of a minister of state, his office announced, just hours after the assassination of anti-Syrian minister Pierre Gemayel.

Thermo-police
(...)I don't want Lebanon sliding back towards Syria and Ahmedinijad. I know things are more complex than that, but it seems like a watershed moment, and I made my choice. Call me zionist, call me neo-con, call me self-hating Arab. You know that that is false. If Syria is back in Lebanon I will do everything in my power to eject them again. Sorry.

Beirut Spring:
All terrorist attacks that took place after the Syrians withdrew last year have targeted Christian areas and Christian leaders only, why?

Simply put, the intended aim of Syria is to repeat history, where Lebanese Christians, fragile in the context of an Islamic neighborhood, have asked them in the past to come to Lebanon to protect them. But the Lebanese Christians have now matured and are no longer falling for that gambit...

Lebop:
There are odd parallels between the actions of Hamas and Hezbollah.
Both organizations claim Israel as their target, yet much of their actions in 2006 have been aimed at opposing their countrymen...
The March 14 movement can lie to itself and continue to pretend that the Lebanese have something in common with those lowlife. It always amuses me when Nasrallah calls for a 'national' government. Assuming that there is a national entity in Lebanon, the first thing a national government would do is to exclude HA ministers.

The Thinking Leb:
And for good measure...

...gunmen have just opened fire on the office of March 14th Cabinet Member Michel Pharaon.

It is happening gentlemen.

New Arab video clip site: dissin' da hijab...

Ikbis is a new Arab video clip site aiming for the English-speaking, but Arabic-based culture market.

Lebanese blogger Beirut Spring, (Wiki) who posted about it, asks a reasonable question:

You might be asking: "Does the world really need another Youtube?"

For a start, the website has just launched and it's a chance for instant fame. A Lebanese girl has already shot herself dancing in her room and sent it, sparking the curiosity of hundreds of viewers.

Do I hear competition brewing for "Tasha & Dishka?" Yalla, Sulha!

And going by the initial batch of uploaded clips, they sure ain't planning on YouTube-type segs calling for war on the Zionazi infidels, and Iraqi snuff clips. Well, at least not yet:

This Just In: Hava Nagila - In Thai

I think that the Thai producers who translated the lyrics of Hava Nagila were reading the page upside down...

Report: Palestinians in El Al bomb plot (UPDATED)

German authorities have broken an Islamic terror cell that was planning to bomb an El Al jet at Frankfurt airport, according to Die Welt's Tuesday edition. An airport employee was to reportedly have taken part in the suitcase bomb attack, the Federal Prosecutor's Office announced on Monday.

Frankfurt Airport

An unnamed informant alerted security officials of the plan; six cell-members have already been questioned.

Cell members had reportedly planned to bribe an airport employee into aiding them in perpetrating the attack, to have taken place during the world football championships in the city in the summer of 2007.

Map of Islamic terror attacks.

From Ynet News:

An El Al spokeswoman in Israel said the company does not respond to reports about security matters.

"Tagesspiegel" (Berlin) reports:

Members of the terror cell are "mostly" from Jordan, originating in "Palestine." The other members are also from Arab countries. They all lived in the German states Rheinland-Pfalz and Hessen. The police searched nine residences.

Nach Angaben der Zeitung "Tagesspiegel" (Dienstag) kommt die Mehrheit der Verdächtigen aus Jordanien. Es soll sich um Männer palästinensischer Herkunft handeln. Auch die anderen Beschuldigten stammten aus arabischen Ländern. Die Bundesanwaltschaft bestätigte lediglich, dass es sich um Ausländer mit Wohnsitz in Rheinland-Pfalz und Hessen handelt. Dort wurden auf Anordnung des Bundesgerichtshofs neun Wohnungen durchsucht.