Showing posts with label Tel Aviv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tel Aviv. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Bigger and Better

The EMS units here have changed their emergency tones from a wail to the European undulating racket so as not to scare the public.

In the office where I work, we keep the window open a crack so that we can hear the siren.

We had a siren again yesterday morning, and another one today, at around 10 am.

It doesn't make my blood boil. It doesn't drive me into a rage of hatred. It simply makes me sad that in 2014 ANYONE has to be in their bomb shelter or protected area.

We should be bigger than this, we should be better than this.

If you want 'facts' about Gaza, you can find them below / here.

If you want opinion about the war, here are some videos:

From the US Senate:



From a famous US Jew (parental consent is advised):



In all honesty, I'm just tired of it all. "You killed 3 of ours so we're going to get 33 of yours" who are we? The Crips and the Bloods from West Side Story?

Peace and love guys, peace and love.

kthanxbai!

Jumblerant

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Sirens, Home and the Iron Dome

A few people have asked me to write about my experiences in the last week or so, here in Israel.

Just a few fun facts for you: I'm a father of 2, husband, employee, manager and, obviously, like to think of myself as just another normal guy.

Siren Song

It was with a sense of disbelief that I walked into the air-raid shelter at work last Wednesday morning. This is the kind of thing everyone was expecting:



But this is more like what it was:



So it didn't phase us that much.

And then that evening we had the siren at home.

A different kettle of fish altogether when you have to gather up your kids and put them in the protected room.

The mere fact that every structure built after the Gulf War has to have a reinforced room, by law, tells us all a bit about what kind of area we live in!

Luckily, this time around, we need only stay int he shelters for 10 minutes, and there is no 'all-clear' sounded. People just decide when it works for them.

English: Iron Dome CRAM launcher near the town...

Iron Dome

What a game changer! Or is it? Similar to the Patriot Missile System int he Gulf War, I think we're going to be hearing a lot about 'near misses' and shrapnel falling all over the place, but for right now, it is keeping us mentally safe too.



Not to give too much away, but there is an Iron Dome unit about 1km from our home, and boy is it reassuring when the rockets blast off! Scary, loud and somewhat worrying just how thin our defensive line is, but altogether I wouldn't say 'no' to it.

Funny side note - I was reading the blog post Game Changer by In From The Cold all about Iron Dome and its benefits, when I heard a couple of loud bangs yesterday. yes, it was the Iron Dome at work again.

Politics

I don't care about the politics. I care about people I don't know throwing explosive rockets at my house.

Here is a politician talking about the situation:




So for now there is talk of a cease-fire. Thats great. It just doesn't take the threat away, it just leaves it standing. An en passe that cannot be resolved.

Having said that, Hamas is getting attacked on TV and elsewhere by it's old friend, Egypt:



So whatever happens in this region in the next 12 months is anyone's guess!



Although I doubt we'll see a one state solution any time soon.

kthanxbai!

Jumblerant

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Super size that

I have been reluctant to eat from any kebab house, anywhere on the globe since two unfortunate events in my life occurred;

1. An evening out in Bristol, UK in 1995. A nice night in a disco followed by a 4 am breakfast of kebab from the kebab house ended with me retching in my friend's neighbour's front garden.

2. After a simple shwarma in Bet Shaan the night before I stood in line at the main Bus Station in Jerusalem waiting for the trip to Tel Aviv. Stomach ache. Nausea. Headache. Shwarma returned.

And a new addition, number 3 if you will;

Russian police have arrested three homeless men suspected of killing and eating a 25 year old - and selling parts of his body to a kebab and pie kiosk.

The alarm was raised when bits of a corpse were found near a bus stop on the outskirts of Perm, about 720 miles east of Moscow.

A statement on the Perm police website said the three alleged cannibals had previous criminal records.

Shish kebab (lamb, tomato, bell pepper, onion)Image via Wikipedia

The statement said they were detained on suspicion of stabbing a man to death and then chopping him up for food.

It went on: "After carrying out the crime, the corpse was divided up.

"Part was eaten and part was also sold to a kiosk selling kebabs and pies."

It was not clear from the statement if the kiosk had cooked any of the man's flesh and sold it to customers.

The three suspects are due to appear in court on Monday.


kthanxbai!