Israeli death balloons wreak havoc over Lebanon

(WHAT do I keep reminding you about the uselessness of doing news parodies around here, hmmm? The following is a real news report - and reported by barkin' lunatics...)

Beirut- Eight people were hospitalized Saturday after inhaling toxic gases from poisonous balloons dropped by Israeli warplanes over Upper Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon, the National News Agency reported.

NNA said among those who were rushed to hospital suffering from nausea and fatigue were a Lebanese staff sergeant, a recruit and An Nahar reporter Rana Jouni.

The agency said Israeli warplanes dropped at least 10 poisonous balloons with Hebrew markings over Upper Nabatiyeh at about 9 am Saturday.

NNA said contacts have been made between the Lebanese army command and the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, which has instructed an Italian peacekeeping unit to take samples from the balloons for examination. The agency said the results are likely to come out on Sunday.

NNA had earlier said that the Lebanese army's engineering unit headed to the area and destroyed the balloons by explosives.

The army, in a communiqué issued Friday, warned civilians against messing with the balloons and urged them to report finding them to the closest army unit.

Yes, the "engineering unit" no doubt should have used very long pins, instead, to blow up the balloons... what wackos.

NOT one of the balloon seen over Beirut...
if only, though...

And here's the original Haaretz article:

An Israeli promotional campaign involving balloons caused panic among Lebanese civilians Saturday when the wind carried them over the border into southern Lebanon.

The Lebanese media reported that some civilians were hospitalized after inhaling the gas in the balloons.

However, the photographs published on the Web site of Hezbollah's TV station Al-Manar show green balloons from a promotional campaign for Ha'ir, a Schocken group newspaper. (and Tel Aviv's "Village Voice " wannabe weekly)

And, this just in: death-dealing IDF units are next reportedly planning to - oh no - send in the clowns (ah, I just slay me sometimes...)

Bite down on this Israeli 'cuisine': edible lampshades

No, no, silly - not the bulb... that's for drunken Russian sailors on shore leave. We mean take a chaw' on the shade itself:

Shuli Levin's lampshades look so good you could almost eat them. But rather than cultivate the squash-like gourds that grow outside his studio in Bnei Zion, a moshav north of Ra'anana, for food, the intrepid Israeli industrial designer transforms their fibers into hip, cutting-edge eye candy for the home.

Forget 'Google Maps' - try 1,100 Holyland maps instead

Here is one really useful resource: The Jewish National and University Library recently posted some 1,100 original and rare maps of the Land of Israel on the Internet.

Israel: 'This Place Called Hope' (insert sigh here)

Dry Bones, once again, nails it

Daniel Gordon, in pondering the hellish moods, exposes' and general crap writhing through Israeli society over the aftermath of investigations into the government and IDF's conduct of the war against Hizbullah; a slew of investigations of the (take a deep breath and try not to spew...) Government, Justice Minister, Knesset parliament, Tax Authority, both chief rabbis, and now, presidency in Israel's (modern) history, quoting an IDF general he recently interviewed, writes,

“'In any normal country, people would be in the streets, burning tires, protesting by the thousands. But here, nothing happens. People are going on as if there’s nothing to get worked up about.'”

I’m not so sure that it’s terrible that people aren’t burning tires. Burning tires would suggest that a change in the government would be enough. But that would be delusional. The reason Israelis aren’t protesting, I think, is that deep down, they understand that this problem is much deeper than the government, or the corruption, or the war. It’s Zionism. No one frames it that way, but that’s the real issue. One hundred and ten years after the First Zionist Congress, people are beginning to wonder if Zionism hasn’t begun to fail.

Very worthwhile reading about the malaise engulfing Israel.

(H-T: The Muqata)

10 - count 'em, 10 cool video clips about Israel

1. Invest in Israel
2. Cool Facts about Israel
3.Tikun Olam - Israel's Emergency Rescue Operations Abroad
4. My Israel
5. Israel's Road to Gold Part 3 of 4 (The 2004 Olympics Ceremony)
6. IDF - Brothers in Arms
7. The Soldiers: Part Three
8. Taglit Winter 2006
9. Aliyah: Live the Dream - Israel - My Soul
10. Follow Me to Israel (Come Back) - August 2006

Please also be sure to check out Israel At Level Ground's own videos, news reports and updates, and assorted odds 'n' ends.

(H-T: Jacob Richman)

JerusalemOnline news update: Jan. 23rd (Video - Channel 2 TV)

• MK's call on Katzav to step down
• Race to replace Katzav gets underway
• Weekly summary:
  
• in French click here
• in Yiddish click here
• in Arabic click here
• in Russian click here
  
  
  
  Click on image for latest Israel
  Channel 2 TV news update
  

Taking a break...

Due to developing professional responsibilities, blogging will be light for the next week or so.

'Death to America! - and now for the weather...' (Al Jazeera in English)

Wonder what Dave Marash thinks of this...

Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up Jihadis

Terrorists ain't easy to love and they're harder to hold.
They'd rather give you a bomb than diamonds or gold.
Suicide bomb buckles and old faded kaffiyehs,
And each night begins a new day.
If you don't understand him, an' he don't die young,
He'll just hack your head away.

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up jihadis.
Don't let 'em bomb cafes or explode them old trucks.
Let 'em be imams and mullahs and such.
Mamas don't let your babies grow up jihadis.
'Cos they'll never stay home and they're always alone.
Even with those virgins to love.

Terrorists like smokey old road bombs and clear mountain hideouts,
Little warm AK's and cell phones and hijacked flights.
Them that don't know him won't like him and them that do,
Sometimes won't know how to take him.
He ain't wrong, he's just different but Islam won't let him,
Do things to make you think he's right.

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up jihadis.
Don't let 'em bomb cafes or explode them old trucks.
Let 'em be imams and mullahs and such.
Mamas don't let your babies grow up jihadis.
'Cos they'll never stay home and they're always alone.
Even with those virgins to love.

(Apologies to Willie Nelson and his original lyrics)

IDF strategic intel expert: talking with Syria, worrying about Iran (Exclusive video interview)

Dr. Eran Lerman, former IDF Intelligence Dep. Chief of Strategic Planning takes a dim view of the "non-paper" peace talks between Israel and Syria.

Lerman, in an exclusive interview with Israel At Level Ground's Dave Bender, also takes a look forward to coming developments with Iran.

Haaretz has more:

Alon Liel: PM's Office was updated about Syria
talks