Jumblerant

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Busy day - oh yeah

We're moving today. From Jerusalem to Modiin. Its a big move as we've both been living in Jtown for nearly 10 years.

But we have to go. We're living in a 4th floor walk up with 2 bedrooms and quite simply we can't find anything bigger in our price range. So off to Modiin we go to a 3 bedroom, air conditioned, 2 gardened ground floor apartment.

We have friends in both cities so we're not going into the unknown, its just that its new. And as my sister explained to me yesterday, new can be scary.

So blogging might be very light for the next few days until we get the internet sorted in our new pad.

kthanxbai!

Monday, August 17, 2009

Come by, come by

I've made a few changes to the blog layout.

Please come by and leave a thought or two (the more negative the better)

Ta very muchly,

kthanxbai!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Pernod genitals indeed

Pernod genitals indeed.

So my third highest key-phrase for this blog is 'pernod genitals'. And yet I don't remember writing that blog - I guess I must be drinking too much.

Image via Wikipedia

kthanxbai!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

White-out won't help here

Ever wondered what those Chinese lettered tattoos really mean? There are a few websites out there who translate these things for inquisitive tattooed individuals.

At Hanzi Smatters some of the questions and answers can be rather interesting:

from: David L.
to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 12:11 PM
subject: tattoo meaning

Hi, I'm called David Lopez.

I'm from Barcelona and I would like to know that it means a tattoo that I did to myself years ago.
I believe that it is Chinese and though I did it for aesthetics, now I am afraid of taking a meaning that I don't want.

My girlfriend and I would have a lot of interest to know the real meaning of my tattoo.

Thank you very much in advance. You will be of great help!

David

賈 means "buy/trade", 路 means "road, path", 卡 means "card".

賈路卡 sounds like a type of prepaid card that allows its owner to access public transportation. Typically it is called ~~乗車券~~ 定期券 (short for 定期乗車券) in Japan and 月票 in China.

Some readers suggested this could be translation of "Jeanluc", but that is not correct. Jeanluc is 吉魯克.

Laugh? I nearly fainted.

kthanxbai!

Woman sets fire to

Greek woman sets fire to drunk Briton's genitals.

Need I say more?

But I will:

Apparently a 26-year old Greek woman has become an overnight national hero after setting fire to the genitals of a 23-year old drunken Briton who allegedly tried to sexually assault her in a crowded bar. Which I guess will make him think twice about doing that again.

The unidentified woman from the fiercely proud island of Crete won herself even more praise by doing the right legal thing – turning herself over to police and the courts to be put on trial for what she claimed was her "right to self-defence".

According to a police statement issued last night the incident occurred at a club in the notorious coastal resort of Malia, which is dominated by young Britons seeking all-night revelry.
Image via Wikipedia

It alleged the Briton took down his trousers and started waving his genitals at a number of girls. He then specifically "forcefully fondled" the 26-year old Greek woman, asking her to take hold of his genitals.

After asking him to stop harassing her, the police said, she poured the alcoholic drink Sabucco on his genitals (an Italian brand type of Greek ouzo or French Pernod drink).

This again allegedly failed to stop his advances, so the woman seized a lighter and set fire to the alcohol-drenched genitals, local press reports said.

I'm not the only one who appreciates her flambe attitude:

A small crowd of bystanders outside the Heraklion hospital applauded and shouted "bravo, bravo", as she was rushed away under police escort.

You go girl!

kthanxbai!

Focus is the key

Those nice men over at Al Qaeda have a message for us brought to us by those lovely people over at CNN:

Al Qaeda's second-in-command has accused President Obama of supporting a Palestinian state that would do the bidding of Israel.

"Obama wants a Palestinian state that works as a branch for the Israeli government," Ayman al-Zawahiri said in a nearly 90-minute video called, "The Realities of Jihad and the Fallacies of Hypocrisy."

"Israel is a crime that needs to be wiped out," said
Image via Wikipedia
al-Zawahiri

Nice

"Obama can come with all the eloquent words he has, but it is nothing but illusions."
He had nothing but scorn for Obama's work. "What new did Obama bring us," he asked. "He brought us the bombing of Gaza where 1,000 martyrs died. He brought us the destruction in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. What else? He expanded the American prisons so they can absorb more innocent Muslims."

Cheery little bunny isn't he?

kthanxbai!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Resentment

Resentment is the experience of a negative emotion (anger or hatred, for instance) felt as a result of a real or imagined wrong done.

In the new world of downloads and torrents I have been trolling through the contents of different websites that host torrents:

http://isohunt.com/
http://eztv.it/
http://www.xtvi.com
http://www.mininova.org/
http://thebox.bz

So whats the connection?

I was lucky enough to find a new show about an old show, all about different classes and kinds of people throughout the world; "Alan Whicker's Journey of a Lifetime".

Still don't see the connection do you?

Image by fataetoile/ Cinzia Rizzo via Flickr

Whicker mentioned something very insightful after an interview with a multimillionaire, way back in 1952. At the time the interview was very well taken by the British public and, in fact, people felt sorry for the main characters as they seemed to have sad lives, even if they were in a fairy tale existence.

Whicker mentioned that today, in 2009, he felt that those with money would not receive pity from the audience as we have a society of resentment.

Resentment

And that clinches the deal for me. I now understand why people get so mean and childish when it comes to superstars of all kinds. I don't agree with it. I don't like it. But there's a limit.

Journalists following stars (not even superstars!) by car and moped and bike - a la Diana - still occurs and they still get paid by magazines to do it.

And that's because we resent their success, their money and their lives. Sad isn't it?

kthanxbai!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Spooling milkshakes

In the foolhardy hope that the Times Online won't change it's article 'Ridgback armour secrecy deprives British troops of Afghanistan vehicles' once it hits 'spelling' on it's software, here is the link.
And here are the first few lines of the article:

Fifty of the Ridgback vehicles, shown here next to a Snatach (I think they mean Snatch) Land Rover, are due to be delivered later this year.

Secrecy sounding (I think they mean surrounding) the armour on new vehicles destined for British troops in Afghanistan is preventing them from being flown into the conflict zone.

So even though they have used spell checking software they haven't written the article as they originally wanted.

I think it just proves that nothing beats reading it yourself. Slowly.

kthanxbai!

Monday, August 3, 2009

Afghanistan 1st Hand

If you have been wondering about what life is like for troops on the front line in Afghanistan then you need look no further than Michael Yon's excellent blog 'Resurrection'.

Sangin is an active battlefield. To describe missions with other than vague details would present danger to these soldiers and to the next rotation. This is not like the sweep from Kuwait into Iraq, wherein the previous week’s missions were tantamount to ancient history. Here in Sangin it’s a daily brawl over the same terrain and sentiments, morning and night.

A couple minutes after the explosion in the photo above, an Apache flew over to take a look but like so many times, it’s just a mushroom with no known cause. A few days ago, in this area, another RPG was fired at a British helicopter and missed. The area within these photos contains more IEDs than perhaps anywhere else in Afghanistan. The British managed to locate one of the worst places in the country and proceeded to build bases all around.

Some excellent reporting that really should be read by more people. He has archived articles from Iraq and Afghanistan on his website Michael Yon, online magazine.

kthanxbai!

Sunday, August 2, 2009

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

AW1 Tim commented on a similar post at the Phibian's place -

"Leadership by Example".

Or lack thereof.

This pic is everywhere on the 'Net. But the best commentary with it so far is in an article at

The American Thinker by Thomas Lifson.

Sergeant Crowley, the sole class act in this trio, helps the handicapped Professor Gates down the stairs, while Barack Obama, heedless of the infirmities of his friend and fellow victim of self-defined racial profiling, strides ahead on his own. So who is compassionate? And who is so self-involved and arrogant that he is oblivious?

Shamelessly stolen from Bostonmaggie - it was just the perfect post!

kthanxbai!

Rapping steward

My friend Neil sent me a message on Facebook stating that he'd just come off a SouthWest Airlines flight with a singing steward - but that he was not a patch on the rapping steward above.

kthanxbai!

Friday, July 31, 2009

Car Jack?

Image via Wikipedia

Do we always have to fall to the lowest common denominator?

Two friends of mine independently told me about a carjacking in the area where I live. Its the first time I've heard of a carjacking anywhere in the city, and my connections in the Police force agree that it is very unusual.

It wasn't a Lamborghini or a Ferrari but a Honda Civic that was carjacked.

I drive a Honda Civic.

Both of my friends mentioned that now, whenever they get into their cars they lock all the doors. And I think I'll be doing the same.

So due to one incident, which seems to be exceptionally unusual, a whole group of the population are not only going to lock their doors whenever they get into their vehicles, but they'll also have that little adrenaline rush and thought about danger in the backs of their minds.

So why do we always have to fall to the lowest common denominator?

kthanxbai!

Who says older isn't better?

Back in 1919, when most of our parents were just a sparkle in the corner of their ancestors' eyes, some fantabulous photography was being created.

Englishman Arthur S Mole and his American colleague John D Thomas took these incredible pictures of thousands of soldiers forming icons of American history. Arthur's great nephew Joseph Mole, 70, says: "In the picture of the Statue of Liberty there are 18,000 men: 12,000 of them in the torch alone, but just 17 at the base. The men at the top of the picture are actually half a mile away from the men at the bottom"

They took the photographs in camps across the US using soldiers returning to America after World War I

Mole and Thomas: The Living Uncle Sam: 19,000 officers and men at Camp Lee, Virginia, January 13, 1919

kthanxbai!

Woodstock reality

This ain’t Hell, but you can see it from here wrote a very interesting introduction to a highly poignant article yesterday; 'Panel 19 West, Line 43-64'

Its about a certain section of the Vietnam War Memorial and the 109 American soldiers who died between August 15 and August 18, 1969. That date? Woodstock.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

For something interesting, and even meaningful, to go with your coffee, go over and read it.

And by the by, its a great blog to read on a daily basis too.

kthanxbai!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

"Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash

Allow me to introduce to you "Folsom Prison Blues" performed by Wesley, 5 years old, at the 2009 Spring Coffee Shop Jam, at The Columbia City Theater in Seattle, WA.

(And this post is a kind of 'test,test' as Scribefire does not allow Mozilla to display Flash in an editor. Who'd a thunk it?)

So the vid is as cute as a button.

5-year-old boy plays "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash

kthanxbai!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

They're in my pants

Image via Wikipedia

Whilst making a bottle for His Highness the Baby I noticed a few mini-ants running around the surface. It was 3 am so I didn't want to pay much attention to them.

At 8 am when I made Her Holiness's coffee I noticed them again, this time around the sugar bowl.

Normally I'd just call the exterminator and have them chemically removed but we're moving house in less than a month and I don't want to spend the money.

So my question to you, dear reader, is;

Short of hiring an anteater from the local menagerie, do you have any cheap and easy ways to abate the flow of ants into an apartment?

Answers in the Comments please.

kthanxbai!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Britain's last World War I veteran, and the World's oldest man, Henry Allingham, passed away recently at the ripe old age of 113. And what did he say was the key to his longevity?

"cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women."

But all jokes aside, he was a modest man who served as Britain's conscience, reminding young people time and time again about the true cost of war.

More at the link

kthanxbai!

Kelly hearts Kelly - and we're cool with that

Image via CrunchBase

A young Meg Ryanesque Florida gal named Kelly Hildebrandt discovers a shirtless, Matthew McConaughey-type Texan with the exact same first and last name on Facebook.
Kelly girl sends a cyber shout-out to Kelly boy, and he answers back. Three weeks of viral flirting leads Kelly boy to head east to Florida to meet girl Kelly. A couple of months later, he’s relocating — and come October, just eight months after their first connection, Kelly Hildebrandt will marry Kelly Hildebrandt.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Using a blog to your advantage

A Day In The Life Of An Ambulance Driver: Dear Cycles & More... is a post that began a revolution!

AD took his motorbike to be repaired after a nasty bump (which he blogged about) and was so insulted by the shop that he decided to share his experience with his loyal readers. The side effect of him blogging about Cycles & More in Louisiana is that he has reached the number 1 slot on Google for Cycles & More, just one spot above their own website!!

"What you have failed to do in three weeks, a pair of semi-literate high school shop students could have done in four days"

Go and read it for yourself. Actually, the more people read it the longer it'll stay high on Google, hopefully teaching Cycles & More to be nicer to their customers.

Have a nice day now y'all!

kthanxbai!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

An unexpected larf

Laugh? I nearly got smile cramps!

Thanks to Throw The Ball Already

kthanxbai!

World's Fastest Everything

Damn Cool Pics posted this on Tuesday. Okay, I'm slow on the uptake but i think you'll find this worth it.

World's Fastest Everything

kthanxbai!

Friday, July 17, 2009

The Insomniac's Guide to Ambulances

A childhood friend of mine is a medic in the UK and his blog is very witty and pithy. Last night's entry actually had me on the floor laughing;

The Insomniac's Guide to Ambulances

Hope you enjoy it.
ambulances 2005.jpg

kthanxbai!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The reality of it all

Epijunky is the blog mistress over at Pink Warm and Dry where she blogs about her job as an EMT. I've been reading her blog for quite a few months now and she never fails to deliver.

Her reality check about MJ's death, as opposed to other things happening in the world, were a wake up call for some people out there.

Click on the link - and have a tissue ready, as like myself you might find that you 'get something in your eye' at the end of the story.

My Reality - by Epijunky, July 9th, 2009

kthanxbai!

Jerusalem Terrorist Attack First Hand

Doubletapper is a blog I read regularly. Normally lighthearted and always interesting today he blew me out of the water with his blog;

It was seven years ago. On 9 of the Fourth Month (Tammuz)/June 19, at around 7:00 pm, a Yishma'eli (Arab) blew himself up at the trempiada (Bus Stop). Seven Jews were murdered as a result. Many Jews were injured. I was one of them.

Read the rest here

kthanxbai!

What happened to the news today?

Yes, dear reader, not 'what happened in the news' but 'what happened to the news today?'.

Firefox has a very useful gadget called Morning Coffee where at the click of a button your preloaded websites come popping up together. Every morning I make a coffee, press the Morning Coffee icon, take a few sips and start to read the morning news from around the world.

After weeks of monotonous news about white/black pop stars popping off this mortal coil, and politicians being crooked (who'd a thunk it?) this morning I was flabbergasted to see the following ASTOUNDING headlines;

Southwest Inspects Planes After Hole in Fuselage
Upcoming Military Robot Could Feed on Dead Bodies
New Jersey Woman Struck by Ambulance While Sitting on Porch
Father Dies Trying to Save Son From Irate Driver in Chuck E. Cheese Parking Lot
Motorist Plunges to His Death After Driving Over Edge of Grand Canyon

I mean each of these headlines can be discussed over the water cooler in their own right, but all of them together? What a start to the day!

And to cap it all off my sister just told me that my 13 year old nephew at stay away camp has come down with the swine flu.

kthanxbai!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Multifaceted post

In my language, calling someone "multifaceted" translates into them being two faced... but here is what I wanted to draw your attention to;

Passenger fixes faulty airliner over at Throw The Ball Already

A discussion about (German) honor and glory over at This Ain't Hell

A series of funnier and funnier jokes proving that Some things shouldn’t be said… edited (heavily probably) by Mostly Cajun, All American and Opinionated

MJ in Candied Story - again from Throw The Ball Already

And to finish off, an obituary of a gallant and heroic WWII secret agent, Peter Lake.

Have a good week.

kthanxbai!

Friday, July 10, 2009

July 4th reminder

America’s Place In The World

Stephen Fry is a world class actor, writer, author and comedian. As the presenter of QI (Quite Interesting) in the UK he has, yet again, propelled himself to the forefront of imaginitive television. He has appeared in comedies and dramas on both sides of the Atlantic and is generally perceived as the star of his generation. Recently Fry has become known to American audiences for his recurring guest role as Dr. Gordon Wyatt on the Fox crime series Bones. You might also know him as the voice that reads the Harry Potter books on tape, cds and pirated MP3 downloads.

Anyway, I digress. Mr Fry recently gave a very interesting talk to the Royal Geographical Society in London, which he posted on his website on July 4th. And yes, it is a very eye-opening, non-diluted view of America and one which I think you'll appreciate.

America’s Place In The World

He explains the roots for his love of nature, his love affair with America and his beliefs as to what will tear the USA asunder in years to come.

Enjoy the speech, I definitely did.

kthanxbai!

Summer Classes for Women

Brazenly copied / stolen from Mostly Cajun, All American and Opinionated

At THE ADULT LEARNING CENTER
REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED
by Tuesday July 30, 2009

NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL
OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM.

Class 1
Up in Winter, Down in Summer – How to Adjust a Thermostat
Step by Step, with Slide Presentation.
Meets 4 wks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hrs beginning at 7:00 PM..

Class 2
Which Takes More Energy – Putting the Toilet Seat Down, or Bitching About It for 3 Hours?
Round Table Discussion.
Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3
How to go to the powder room by your self without taking anyone with you for 3 Hours?
Round Table Discussion.
Meets 7 Days a week 12:00 for 3 hours.

Class 4
Is It Possible To Drive Past a Wal-Mart Without Stopping?–Group Debate.
Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 5
Fundamental Differences Between a Purse and a Suitcase–Pictures and
Explanatory Graphics.
Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 6
Curling Irons–Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Bathroom Cabinet?
Examples on Video.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM

Class 7
How to Ask Questions During Commercials and Be Quiet During the Program.
Help Line Support and Support Groups.
Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 8
Can a Bath Be Taken Without 14 Different Kinds of Soaps and Shampoos? Open Forum.
Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 9
Health Watch–They Make Medicine for PMS – USE IT!
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 10
I Was Wrong and He Was Right!–Real Life Testimonials..
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined.

Class 11
How to Parallel Park In Less Than 20 Minutes Without an Insurance Claim. Driving Simulations.
4 weeks, Saturday’s noon, 2 hours.

Class 12
Learning to Live–How to Apply Brakes Without Throwing Passengers Through the Windshield.
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined

Class 13
How to Shop by Yourself.
Meets 4 wks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 14
How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy–Remembering To Take a List To The Store,
Avoiding Separate Trips for Each Item Needed.
Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 15
The Stove/Oven–What It Is and How It Is Used.
Live Demonstration. Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.
Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

And there is a great reply in his comments section, go check it out.

kthanxbai!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Disco tune saves man's life

Debra Bader was taking a walk in the woods with her 53-year-old husband one morning when suddenly he collapsed. At first she thought the situation was hopeless
Debra Bader was prompted to perform CRP on her husband, Christopher, after recalling a public service ad.

"I looked at him and said, 'He's dead,' because he wasn't moving or making any sounds at all," Bader remembers. "But I pulled the cell phone out of his pocket and called 911, and then a public service announcement I'd heard on the radio popped into my head."

The one-minute PSA from the American Heart Association instructed listeners, in the event of cardiac arrest, to perform chest compressions very hard to the beat of the 1970s Bee Gees song "Staying Alive.

Bader says doctors at the hospital where her husband was treated have an alternative song. "They told me they do CPR to 'Another One Bites the Dust,' which also has about 100 beats per minute," Bader says. "Doctors have kind of a dark sense of humor."

So does Bader like the song "Stayin' Alive"?

"I do now," she says

Hat tip to totwtytr

kthanxbai!

The Good, The Bad and the 'OMG!'

MJ is no longer (still) but there are some great leaches that have sprung up since his demise.

Some bloggers are arguing that MJ was passed his prime and that there shouldn't be such an outcry about his untimely death. CNN having an MJ watch 24/7 is a bit much but then again, I haven't trusted their 'reportage' in years.

True talent must never be overlooked.

Tina Fey truly is a genius. If you don't know who she is then spank yourself and then Google her. Trust me, she's worth it.

And just when you thought things were settling down in the Universe, Bob over at The Drawn Cutlass directs us to shocking video proof of new life in the Solar System. Where else but in the sewer system of North Carolina!! The footage is somewhat stomach churning so don't watch it during, or directly after eating.

kthanxbai!

Friday, July 3, 2009

George W was a no BS guy

Wirecutter over at Knuckledraggin My Life Away has a great 2nd Amendment 'motivator' that i thought I'd share with you.

kthanxbai!